Past, Present And Future
by Basched
Summary: Letters For Home: Adjusting to life in 1932 is far from easy. Becker/Emily/Matt penultimate chapter.
1. So Tell Me Future Boy

_Author's Note: This is the beginning of what I am now going to call my Past, Present and Future story. It's still on going..yeah I need another WIP right now...but I couldn't not. Tis beta'd and rated for slash. Mistakes are not mine. Characters are not mine. Word up to FredBassett! Now enjoy! _

_Spoilers for Season 5 _

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><p><strong><em>PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE...<em>**

**Chapter One: **"**So Tell Me, Future Boy...I" **

"_But there's something I need to tell you. The machine I made in my lab was just a prototype. Philip built another one and it's a hundred times its size and it's infinitely more powerful. Now he's got the key and he knows how to open his anomaly, because I showed him how."_

_"Do you not think he deserves to know where you've come from… and what you have to do? He can help you." _

_"It's too late. There's no way we can stop him now."_

Learning what he had learnt from Connor, Matt realised that he had no choice but to tell Becker. Connor was being a little too pessimistic for Matt's liking, there had to be a way, they had to stop Burton. As there was nothing further that could be done that evening, Matt decided to inform Becker who he was. Emily had said something about staying with Jess, giving him an excuse to finally do as Emily had suggested.

He had never been to Becker's apartment before. As he climbed several flights of stairs, ignoring the judging gaze of an elderly woman as she peeked out from behind her door, Matt went over and over in his mind how he would tell Becker. It really didn't matter, because Becker would be pissed off either way. Even the six-pack of beers Matt had brought along might not help.

Matt climbed one more flight of stairs, stepping aside as a group of young women, all dressed for a night out on the town, came traipsing down from another flat. They looked at him approvingly and smiled before running off giggling.

Of course Becker had to live at the very top of this block of flats and Matt wished that the lift had been working. He stood outside the door and looked at the black, unmarked wood. He held out his hand and felt the smoothness of the grain. It was flawless.

His hand clenched into a fist and Matt rapped his knuckles against the wood. He knocked four times and waited. Becker was in and Matt knew he was purposely making him wait. So he waited. If Becker was going to be this damned stubborn then Matt was going to respond in the only way he knew how.

"Six bottles of beer in a crate…" Matt began to sing at the top of his voice and he purposely rattled the bottles in his hand. "Six bottles of beer! Take one out…"

He paused as he took one bottle from the pack and looked at the golden liquid inside.

"Oh. I suppose I could pass it about," he said, loudly to the door. "But as it's just me here…I'll drink it all myself."

The door opened. Becker stood there, looking far from amused. He was dressed in jeans and a dark green teeshirt — with the words _'This Is What A Soldier Looks Like'_ emblazoned on the chest — which made a nice change from seeing Becker dressed in his usual black attire. The humorous shirt made Matt smile as he slowly walked into the flat.

"Nice shirt."

"My nephew got it for me," Becker replied coldly.

"Proud his uncle is a soldier then?"

Becker nodded and accepted the beer Matt offered him. He cracked the cap off easily within his palm and took a sip. Matt followed him in and took in his surroundings. Becker's place was vastly different from his own.

It was more like a home rather than just somewhere to live. Pictures of his family, his old army buddies and even some of the crew from the ARC, were placed all around the lounge. He had a nice set up, a dark blue leather three-piece suite and extra recliner chairs with foot rests, were arranged around the front of an impressively large flat screen television, arranged presumably for the sole purpose of having friends around and watching sport.

Rugby trophies and other sporting memorabilia decorated the walls… it was very much a bachelor pad, a home that catered to a single man's needs.

"So?"

Becker slumped into the main recliner — the one with the best view of the television — and took a long swig of his beer. Matt slowly walked to the sofa and as he sank down into the comforts of the leather, he eyed one photo he knew to be of great importance to Becker. It was hidden from general view, but from where Becker sat, he could see it clearly and remember.

It was of the captain smiling and laughing as he hugged the woman in his arms. Sarah. The two of them looked so happy together. The photo must be a constant, painful reminder of what he had lost.

So it was going to be really fabulous when Matt made Becker's sour mood worse.

"I have news," Matt said, taking a bottle from the pack and toying with it in his hands. "It's not good, I'm afraid."

"I already know what it is you've come to tell me. I've accepted it… so let's move on shall we? Drink your beer and then you can go back to her."

"What?" Matt watched, confused as Becker got up from the chair, snatched his bottle and opened it for him. The bottle was shoved back into his hand and Becker fell back to the recliner.

"Emily. You can stay here, drink the beer with me… which is fine, and then you can go to her."

"Er… Becker, I'm here because I wanted to talk to you… spend time with you. Not Emily." Matt took a couple of nervous gulps from his bottle and leaned forward, hoping that he had Becker's attention. "What I have to say… I don't think you're going to like it, so I'll just come out and say it." Becker was looking at him, but Matt wasn't sure that he was really listening. "Fine. Becker… I'm not from this time. I came… from the future, through an anomaly, to change it. I came here to stop Philip Burton from destroying everything and Becker… I need your help. Please."

Matt knew that such a revelation wouldn't get a great response, but Becker's laughter wasn't what he expected at all. There was a snort and a spray of beer as Matt's timing caught Becker just as he was taking another swig. Becker laughed and as he wiped his face clean of the beer, he shook his head with amused disbelief.

"Oh that's brilliant. I was not expecting you to come out with that! You're from the future? Yeah! Of course you are!" Becker coughed and spluttered a little before continuing to laugh and he had to put the empty bottle down. Eventually the laughter stopped and Becker looked to be anything but amused. "Look, I'm a grown man and it's not as if what we have together constitutes a relationship. Just say it's not me that you want… we'll drink the beer and everything will be fine. You don't need to spare my feelings, Matt. I'll get over it."

Of course Becker was lying. Matt could see the hurt upon his face, however their 'relationship' or whatever it was they had, wasn't important right now.

"I'm not joking, Becker. I'm not trying to spare your feelings…" Matt moved from the sofa and sat directly in front of Becker, on his foot rest. This time he made sure Becker was listening as he took off his watch. "I came back from the year 2218, where the earth has been scorched to desert wastelands and the air is polluted with toxic fumes. Predators live there and they thrive in it. Factions of my people live underground… barely surviving because the surface is an inhabitable hell, because the water is undrinkable and the threat from being killed by the creatures happens every day, every minute and every second. This… this is where I come from."

Matt unclipped from his watch the small recording device he'd brought with him. He pressed one of the buttons and held out his palm.

The hologram screen projected out from the device. It showed a recording of a wasteland of what had once been London. There was no sun, no clear sky, only blackened clouds. Hard winds whipped up sand and debris from the ground and crumbled buildings into rubble. It was a nightmare vision.

The picture shook, as if the person doing the filming was nervous. Then there was a gasp as the camera caught a mass of predators scurrying over some rubble before they all began to rip apart something… someone. Their screams echoed throughout the desolate town.

"_Oh God! Matt… we have to get out of here… oh God!" _A frightened young voice from the recording made Becker jolt with surprise.

"This is where I'm from, this is my world, Becker," Matt said as the video continued. "This is the result of what Philip does with his anomaly research. You've seen the one Connor made and what came out of it? Well Philip is going to make another that's a hundred times bigger and he will not be able to control it! I came back to stop him and I'm asking for your help."

Becker didn't reply. He said nothing, only glared at the flickering holo-image of the future with shock and disgust. He then reached out a hand and traced a single finger through the projection. The view suddenly changed and the frightened face looking back at him was unmistakeable. Becker ran his fingers over the very youthful face of Matt Anderson and then he backed away… sickened at the sight of all death that littered the ground around the young teen.

"Becker…."

Matt was getting worried now. No response at all was not like Becker and the longer his hesitation lingered on, the more concerned Matt grew. He had to have some reaction, he had to say something, anything.

"Becker?"

"That was you? You're… you're really from the future?"

Matt nodded.

"You had to see this, deal with the predators… _every day?_"

"Every day."

"Jesus, Matt. Jesus-fucking-Christ…"

Becker slowly rose to his feet and turned away from the lounge and Matt. He walked over to the large window that overlooked the city and leaned on the sill, gazing at the people and cars below. Matt suspected that he was imagining the city as he had just seen it, nothing but ruins and sand… the dead littering the streets. He looked quite pale.

"I've dealt with predators…" Becker said after a very long period of uncomfortable silence. "I've had to fend off many of them on my own. That was just for a few hours… and it took everything I had to stay alive. You… you had to deal with those bastards every single day?"

Matt nodded.

"Not just them. You remember those burrowing creatures we encountered?"

Becker looked round to Matt, eyes widened with shock.

"There was never a moment where we could feel safe, there wasn't anywhere where we could settle because they used to dig us out."

"Shit. What sort of a life is that, Matt?"

"The only one I've known, until I came here."

"You know…. I knew something was wrong with your file, as soon as I read it." Becker gulped down the remainder of his beer. "It was too perfect. You made your file up, everything was a lie."

"The Everest part was, yeah."

"And so was the fact that you weren't born in 1976 but rather 207 years in the future?"

"That too."

"You lied to all of us."

Matt felt a sickening bile rise up in his throat hearing Becker say that. It was true, but after everything they had shared and been through together, it being the truth didn't make things better. He came and stood beside Becker at the window and mimicked his leaning posture.

"Becker… I'm sorry to have lied to you and the others. I was under orders and I had a duty to find the person responsible. People depended on me."

"I understand that." Becker sighed and turned to look at Matt. The hurt on his face subsided for a moment, replaced by the professional and stern expression he normally adopted. "I understand… especially after seeing what you had to face. I get it, but still… you could have bloody told me."

Matt straightened up and leaned against the window frame, his arms crossed over his chest and his head bowed.

"I'm sorry."

"This future thing, it's a lot to take in, Matt. You can't just spring it on me and expect me to be all okay with it."

"I wasn't expecting you to be okay with it."

"Thought I would freak out?"

"No. I thought you might be a bit pissed off actually."

Becker nodded to confirm Matt's assumption. He was pissed off.

"I'll help you, but that's mainly because I don't trust Philip as far as I can throw Lester's mammoth."

"Do you still trust me?"

"Matt, what the hell?" Becker turned away from Matt and tried to put some distance between them. "We've known each other and we've worked with each other for over a year. You've saved my life, and vice versa… did you really think that I was the accomplice?"

"_Becker likes guns." _

"_Is that the only thing you've picked up about him?"_

"_He __**really**__ likes guns." _

"No," was all Matt could say.

"Ah! Right… so it was okay for you to fuck me, but not to tell me that you come from the future? That's great, Matt!" Becker gave him two thumbs up, though the gesture was anything but genuine. "Really great!"

"It's not like that! Look…" Matt rested a hand on Becker's shoulder but his tension and recoil made Matt scowl. "I didn't tell you but do you really think this has been easy for me?"

"No! It can't have been easy for anyone who had to live through that hell! But I thought you might have come to me about it, confided in me… I could have helped you!"

"I realise that now! But when I came through the anomaly, I had to keep my distance from everyone I ever came into contact with. I trained for ten years, specifically for this mission, I was chosen because they thought I was the best, but they were wrong. I fucked up… okay? I made a mistake."

"You fucked up?" Becker asked the question, even though he already knew what Matt meant.

Becker tried to smile, but Matt could see how frustrated he was. He did understand, but the deceit combined with the turmoil of feelings inside of him was no doubt making things appear ten times worse than they actually were. Matt knew how conflicted Becker was, because he was feeling like that himself.

The feelings they had… even those ones they had for each other… was not something they tended to discuss. Instead, they had their own ways of dealing with them: snarky remarks, insults, avoidance, silence, beer and when those didn't work… physical violence.

"Yeah. I did fuck up." Matt scratched the back of his head and smiled. "Twice."

"Oh, and am I'm one of those fuck-ups?"

"You were the biggest I've ever made." Matt tried to tease, but his joviality was lost on Becker. Perhaps it wasn't the best time to try and be making jokes.

"Well…." Becker sighed and looked towards his front door. "At least I know where I stand and it's exactly where I thought I was going to be."

Becker walked over to the door and Matt watched, stunned beyond belief as he then opened it.

"Thanks, Matt. Just let me know when you want me to help you out tomorrow, oh and cheers for the beer."

"Cheers for the beer? _Damnú air!"_

This wouldn't do.

Matt stormed over to the door and grabbed the edge of it. With all his strength he pulled the door sharply towards him and then just as quickly slammed it back into Becker. Matt shoved the door again into Becker's arm before slamming it closed.

Becker sagged against the wall, startled at first as he clutched at the arm which had been caught between the wall and the door. Then he was angry, very angry.

Matt didn't bother to try to avoid the swing. He let Becker's fist crack to his face and he staggered back into the shelf behind him. The punch didn't have Becker's full strength behind it, but the impact was just right… it smarted, it hurt and made his head ring, it also made him smile. Every muscle in his body twitched with excitement, fluctuating with pleasure at the pain and then they seemed to demand more. He wanted more.

Becker gave it.

With his forearm shoved against Matt's chest, Becker pushed him against the shelf. The edge of the glass dug into Matt's back just before a hand grabbed hold of his hair and yanked it back with a sharp tug. Some of his hair ripped, leaving sore sensations prickling wonderfully over his scalp.

"I know what you're doing," Becker's mouth hissed next to Matt's ear, his breath seethed hot and deep against his skin. "I'm not going to go along with it. I'm not going to let you do the sympathy with me. "

He was so close. Matt could feel Becker's lips brush against his ear and… _shit… _it felt so good. Becker pushed him harder into the edge of the shelf and Matt gasped when he felt the rest of Becker shove into him as well. This is what he wanted, Matt's entire body was riled up for him, and as he angled his face into Becker's neck, he breathed in his scent and groaned with need.

This wasn't sympathy. Certainly the growing strain and ache in Matt's groin wasn't feeling sympathetic.

Matt pushed back against Becker, a purposely feeble attempt to get him going, to get Becker to do anything other than just hold him here. His arms reached out and coiled round Becker so his hands could grab hold of his arse. He tugged Becker into him, forcing him to feel the hardening he was feeling.

In return, Becker gave Matt's head another sharp tug and hearing him wince, Becker turned Matt around and forced him up against the wall with a hefty bang. Matt grinned as his shoulder blades smarted against the impact.

"Stop it." Becker hissed angrily, desperately, into Matt's ear.

"Make me."

Becker shoved him again which only made Matt laugh. He got a sharp kick to the back of his leg for that response and as he collapsed down to his knees, Matt could only grin even more. Becker was making this far too easy.

He was itching for a fight. The need to release, to unleash everything he was, how he felt was raging inside of him. Matt could never explain why he felt like this around Becker, but he did know that it would be only Becker who could take him like this. No one could match him in a fight, and no one could spar with him and make Matt so damned hot.

_"Come on… come on!"_

_tbc_


	2. So Tell Me Future BoyII

_Author's Note: Second part. Warning for Sexual stuff and swearing. Slash. _

_Word to FredBasset for the beta! _

_Enjoy people! _

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><p><strong>PAST,PRESENT AND FUTURE<strong>

**Chapter 2: So Tell Me, Future Boy…II" **

Chapter Two:

With his head pulled back by Becker's hand, Matt stared up at him and willed him to continue. Becker wanted to, Matt could tell by the way his jaw and fist were clenching with frustration, he could tell by the look in his eyes. He wanted to, but something was holding him back.

"I don't need sympathy." Becker released his hold and stepped aside, looking anywhere except at Matt. "Just go."

_Eejit! You complete and utter eejit! _

Matt got to his feet and faced up to Becker, he stood toe to toe, heaving out his chest and barging it against him to goad him into reacting. Becker actually thought he was doing this as some last, sympathetic send off? Matt shook his head.

Then he cracked a fist to Becker's face.

Becker took a couple of paces back, stunned as he watched a little blood trickle from his nose and in doing so, it left him unable to block Matt's second blow to his stomach. Matt watched him bend over, clutching his belly and coughing before he planted both of his hands on his back and shoved him across the room.

Becker landed straight into the back of his sofa and crumpled down to the ground. Matt heard him swearing as he tried to get up, but Becker had to be shown. Matt needed to show him that this wasn't just last a send-off. It wasn't one last fight.

Becker slowly got to his feet, but he stumbled and had to support himself on the back of the sofa. Matt wasn't going to wait for him. He too hauled himself upright, and adopted a fighting stance, with fists raised. Matt goaded Becker on.

After the revelation of him being from the future and his fascination with a certain person from the past, this fight was desperately needed.

A right hook to Becker's shoulder and a shocking left to his face wasn't returned. Becker blocked all the attempts by Matt and he even managed to push him back a couple of times, but he didn't hit back. Again Matt could see that he wanted to but Becker was still unsure and angry. He wasn't in the fight and it wasn't the same.

Matt upped the pace. He quickened his attacks, but still all Becker did was block them.

Matt was already pumped up, a slight sweat from the effort was beginning to bead on his forehead and dampness already formed down his spine, sticking to his shirt. Matt was ready, he could take Becker right here right now if he wanted, he was that confident… but he didn't. Not yet.

Becker continued to block, no matter how Matt tried to improvise his punches and soon arms were beginning to tire. It carried on as a one-sided fight, Matt attacking and Becker refusing to strike back. As they manoeuvred around the furniture, knocking a few of Becker's pictures to the floor — the glass frames smashing — Matt noticed that Becker was getting more and more irate.

He was resisting the fight and resisting him was something that Becker had never done before in their tussles. Usually the two of them put everything they could into it — the destruction of the men's toilets was proof enough — but Becker wasn't having it.

Well, Matt wasn't going to let him resist any more. Matt feigned a few punches and then surprised Becker by striking out with his leg. His foot sent Becker back down to the floor, where it was obviously the last straw.

"Right! That's it you Irish git!"

"Resorting to racial name calling?" Matt chuckled. "That's low, Becker."

What came next was even lower.

Becker got back up and slowly walked up to Matt. He wanted to say something that much was clear, but all Becker did was stand in front of him, huffing and puffing like some big bad wolf.

Then Matt felt it.

Becker grabbed him, his fingers curled round his erection and squeezed hard through his jeans. Matt nearly collapsed. His hands grabbed onto Becker's shoulders and his legs began to shake as Becker's squeeze began to massage and stroke up and down his crotch.

Everything was too tight… Matt had to undo his jeans for he was far too hard. It was hurting so much but he liked it. Becker prevented him by pushing him back until he impacted with the front door. He brought his face closer to Matt's, his deep panting breath was struggling to restrain what he wanted and Matt was going to help him give in.

It was only a light scrape. Matt placed both his hands on the back of Becker's head and pulled him to his mouth, where he trailed his teeth lightly over Becker's jaw and up to his ear. Matt's light stubble grazed over Becker's smooth skin, leaving a red mark on his cheek, and when he was sufficiently marked, Matt bit down on Becker's ear.

The result was Becker releasing his grip on his crotch and shoving him again and again into the door.

"Is this is what you want?" asked Becker, thrusting himself up against Matt. "One more screw and then bugger off back to Emily?"

_Here we go! _

Matt shook his head and smiled.

"Actually I was hoping for more than one screw and buggering here."

"What?"

"Becker… you are really are thick as shit aren't you?"

Matt didn't give him the chance to insult him back. He bit into Becker's jaw and nipped hungrily along until he came to his mouth. He kissed him briefly, before turning them both around and pushing Becker up against the door. Matt used his knee to part Becker's legs and gave him a shove into the wood.

He grabbed the bottom of Becker's t-shirt and pulled it up, scraping his fingers over his abdomen and chest before taking the shirt over his head. Becker was stunned for a few seconds and afterwards, Matt saw the realisation in his eyes.

"Caught up, have we?"

"I'm thick as shit?"

"It took you long enough to figure it out!"

"Oh shut the hell up!"

Becker's hands were in his hair, a tight tugging hold that wrenched his head back again. Becker was never gentle and he certainly wasn't when he bit a lot harder at Matt's neck.

Matt bucked forward and into Becker, grabbing onto the edge of his jeans. He tried to bite him back, but he was caught by a crushing kiss and Matt ended up muttering cusses into Becker's mouth.

Matt slammed Becker as hard as he could into the door, taking control of the kiss and ripping open the other man's jeans with his hands. His fingers only lightly touched the tip of Becker's cock through his boxers, but he felt it twitch and the low deep groan from Becker in the midst of the kiss spurred Matt on. He slammed him again at the door, his hands furiously pushing down Becker's jeans in the process.

Becker began to undo Matt's belt with one hand, though Matt wasn't making it easy for him. The kiss was hard enough, accentuated with bites and interrupted with insults. Yet Matt wouldn't let up.

Like macho teens trying to induce a playground scrap, they pushed each other back and forth, each shove getting harder and harder. It was only after a particularly hard push, when Matt crashed into the kitchen door, falling down to the ground and breaking the kiss that the fight started. Becker put in all his effort.

It was the best fight they had ever engaged in. It was great to have this much of a challenge and at the same time be completely turned on by his opponent.

The fight carried on, breaking and destroying everything around them, but filling both of them with adrenalin and surging testosterone. They were more alive than they had ever been and the rush increased with every move. _Attack, counter-attack. Dodge, deflect. Insult, swear._ Every tactic was used in the attempt to be the victor, to be the alpha, for there was still the primal instinct to prove who was the strongest.

The neighbours were certainly of no concern as Matt and Becker only cared for the buzz and outcome of their sparing. The ruckus may well have been annoying to the people living below and next door, but they didn't care. No one else even existed.

In an attempt to trip him, Matt failed miserably as they ended up locked together in a wrestle, Becker squashing him against the wall. It was already too much, the close proximity of Becker, the feeling of him grinding into him was going to be his undoing and so the leverage he tried to use vanished. Instead of Becker being tripped up, Matt was flung over his shoulder.

He was not, however, dumped on the floor. Matt was instead left hanging over Becker's shoulder, staring at his backside. This was not dignified and certainly not becoming of the alpha male in this partnership, which he thought he was.

"Looks like I've won again!" Becker laughed triumphantly as he carried Matt into his bedroom. His hand slapped heavily on Matt's rear. "You lose, Future Boy!"

_Future boy? Damn, he's going to be calling me that all the time._

Matt was thrown from Becker's shoulder and he landed heavily on the large bed. Something broke underneath. Thankfully it was only a few of the slats on the bed and not anything in his body.

Matt was, however, going to object to his new nickname, but he just opened his mouth, speechless, as Becker dropped his boxers onto the floor.

_Bugger me!_

He was glorious.

Matt licked his lips at the sight of Becker's well-toned body. Matt had seen and been with him naked before, he'd been fucked senseless by him, but with the sight of Becker naked at the end of the bed, gently massaging his balls and slipping his palm up and over his cock, Matt wanted him even more. Matt had never found men attractive, but Becker seemed to be the exception.

Matt rose to his knees, pulled off the remainder of his clothes and watched longingly as Becker proceeded to move his hand up and down his erection with slow languid motions, accentuated with small gasping moans.

As Becker was already out of breath from the fight, the tones of his moaning deepened with every stroke and the sight of him pleasuring himself made Matt edge closer to the end of the bed. So the fight was over… they had aroused each other into such a state that the only thing that could happen was this. Matt wanted to do tend to himself, he was aching so much, but as he sat watching Becker… the more he began to crave him.

It was a craving he'd never felt before, one he never thought he'd want, even with Becker, but Matt was certain about something now, as his mouth began to salivate. He wanted a taste, he wanted to know. So Matt grabbed hold of Becker's wrist, slipped his hand around his waist and grabbed a handful of arse.

Becker was about to protest at his forcefulness, there was an expression, almost childish, on his face that seemed to say _"But I beat you, fair and square, why are you taking control?" _

Matt shook his head. "Don't argue. Don't say anything," He took Becker's hand away and pulled him closer. He grinned. "At least not yet."

Becker didn't say a word. Matt looked up at him and Becker instantly knew what he was planning. There was no objection or fear in his eyes, so Becker dropped his hands by his sides and allowed Matt to take over.

Matt breathed in deep a couple of times before he reached out and gently ran his fingers through dark coarse hair. Matt looked up to Becker and met his gaze and with a gentle nod of acknowledgement, Matt took hold and began to work him up with a steady slow rhythm.

Becker grabbed the back of Matt's head to steady himself as Matt varied the strength of his hold, each stroke extracting different sounds from Becker. Although his own ache remained untouched, Matt felt more than pleasured with Becker's. It was great to know he was making him tremble like this, that he was torturing him in the best way possible.

There was no freaking out, no fears or doubts about being with another man. This was normal, it felt normal.

Matt had to grin at the sight of his partner's eyes rolling to the back of his head, so he pulled hard and sharp just to hear Becker' hiss and moan again. He was losing balance and Matt could feel Becker's shaking increase, so he helped him prop his knee up onto the bed.

Matt slowly ran his hand up Becker's leg, and resting it on his arse he guided Becker onto the bed before he could fall over. As the two of them slowly manoeuvred towards the headboard, Matt never let go of him and he didn't stop his strokes. Becker's shaft was slick within his palm, his throbbing skin so hot that it was scorching and it felt damned wonderful. He didn't want to stop.

Matt turned Becker round, resting him into a sitting position against the headboard and then he straddled his legs and with his free hand pulled Becker closer to him. He needed to hear him up close as he quickened his pace.

"Matt!" Becker gasped directly into his ear and clung to him, purposely digging his nails into his back. "Shit! Matt!"

His whispered name, the gasps of breath against his skin sent a pleasured jolt down Matt's spine. He bowed down, his face pressing lightly against a solid sweating chest and Matt did all he could and wanted; he bit at Becker's skin, marking him across his collar bone, his chest and down over his stomach. All of Becker clenched when Matt's mouth crept lower over his abdomen, Becker's legs coiled round just as a he murmured a delectable groan against the sensitive glans of Becker's cock.

Matt's lips brushed against the head, his tongue lapped up a quick taste and without even meaning to, his teeth followed with a bite that unleashed a bellowing yell and a knee to his chest. Matt pulled back at the impact and rubbed at the part of his chest where Becker had kneed him. It hurt, but it really didn't matter when he saw the look upon Becker's face.

"What the bloody hell?" Becker snarled. "Are you trying to bite it off?"

Matt laughed. No, that wouldn't be any fun. As Becker settled against the pillow, Matt waited for a few seconds before positioning himself once more. Without any kind of warning, Matt took him into his mouth.

"Fuck!"

Becker's hands lifted up behind his head and grabbed the headboard which creaked under the strain. Matt didn't care about that, not now that he was feeling Becker slide between his lips and graze the back of his throat. In gradual slow movements, Matt took Becker's cock and slid it in and out of his mouth, dragging long hungry sucks over the stiffened flesh and extracting more pleasured grunts and gasps from Becker.

Matt became lost in the moment. Hearing Becker's panting, gasping breaths and feeling his body spasm beneath, spurred Matt on, because he knew how he was making Becker feel. In the past, women had done this to him and when it was done right, it was one of the best sensations he had ever felt in his entire life. The way Becker's groin was arching up into him, forcing Matt to take in more, along with the orgasmic breaths and genuinely felt curses, was a definite sign that Becker liked it.

His pleasure was Matt's pleasure.

That was until Becker grabbed hold of his hair. Matt couldn't quite hear what Becker was saying in between his choking moans, but he thought that he couldn't handle any more. As Matt's head was pulled back, Becker's cock slipped from his mouth.

"That's it!"

Matt had to wipe his chin with the back of his hand as the sudden extraction caused drool from fall from his lips, but as he was doing so, he was pulled up and back onto Becker. He was flushed, his eyes could hardly stay open and Becker was trying so hard to keep control of his ragged breathing and his impatience.

"Fine! You win!" Becker pulled Matt up into his lap, jerking him roughly and wincing when they brushed together. "Just hurry up will you?"

Matt smiled and leaned forward so his mouth was close to kissing him. Becker wasn't the most patient person when it came to this. He supported his weight by placing his hands either side of him and then rubbed his cock against Becker's by motioning his hips, just to tease him more.

"Hurry up?" Matt asked, feigning innocence. "Hurry up and what?"

"You're really not very funny, Matt." Becker's face screwed up at the friction between them.

Becker didn't care for Matt's smug grin. It was clear that he was frustrated, being on the edge of having an orgasm and Matt loved that it was so easy to rile him up.

"Becker, shut your gob… or put it to some good use will you?"

Becker's eyes shot open.

"Can it, Future Boy!" He bit sharply at Matt's lip, causing it to bleed again.

"Oh hell no… you do not call me that!" Matt licked the blood off his lip and shuffled so he could pull Becker's legs around his waist. He made sure that he stroked himself, grazing against Becker's inner thighs, before meshing his mouth back on to his. He coiled his fingers into his hair and felt Becker's hands grab at his hips. "Don't call me that… ever."

"Try to stop me…. Future Boy," he mumbled as their mouths still smacked together in a hungry and angry kiss.

Matt really didn't like that name.

"You're a git, you know that?"

Matt kissed him harder, thrusting his tongue deep inside as he then proceeded to rip at the strands of Becker's hair. Their bodies ground together, and as the kiss intensified, becoming wilder, they rolled, making the already-broken bed creak and strain beneath them.

Matt managed to remain on top and as he came back from the kiss for some air, his teeth bit Becker's lower lip and pulled it sharply as he pushed Becker's legs apart to gain access. When he released Becker's lip, one hand kept his head back on the pillow, tugging every so often at his hair, whilst his other roamed over the scarred body, feeling excited twitches it made. For a brief moment, Matt groped hard at Becker's cock again… just to see that pleasured and pained expression on his face and he gave him a couple of strokes, before taking up his palm and licking it.

His wet fingers touched at the hot skin of Becker's arse, slapping it before rubbing and playing with the twitching muscle, making Becker squirm. He thought he heard the soldier whisper a begging _"please" _so Matt continued to toy with him, until he heard the proper words.

"Damn it, Matt! You bastard! Now!"

_Close enough._


	3. So Tell My Future BoyIII

_Author's Note: Third part. Again with the appreciation to FredBasset for her beta and just basically enjoy the story...because you gotta admit, Matt and Becker are DAYAMED hot. :) _

* * *

><p><strong><em>PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE<em>**

"**So Tell Me, Future Boy…III" **

Chapter Three:

It was bliss to hear Becker beg like that and Matt was having great fun making him beg for more. He took his hand away and gave himself some much-needed massaging, before bending down and positioning himself at Becker's entrance. His fingers rubbed again at Becker's tightness, which made Becker curse at him even more. He swore so wonderfully!

Matt then pushed his hands underneath Becker's cheeks to raise him level with his face. He took a few bites at his buttocks and rolled his tongue around inside his mouth, smiling mischievously as he did so.

Much to Becker's surprise, warm wet spit shot over his arse. Matt felt him twitch and heard his sudden deep intake of breathe so he spat against him again, stroking in the wetness before moving up to lie over him. Matt allowed another kiss, a more meaningful and tender kiss before placing himself and pushing hard.

Becker didn't scream, but his face and the sudden red flush on his body showed that he wanted to. Matt could feel him constricting around him and whilst Matt grabbed on to Becker's legs and continued to fill him up, Becker hands were digging into the sheets so much his knuckles were going white. Sweat was pouring off him, his breathing was so ragged and broken with pain, so Matt released his hold on Becker's hair and gently stroked at his swollen cock as he continued to push.

Becker began to call him just about every name under the sun. Every rude name he could think of, combined with some inventive swear words, came from Becker's mouth and they were directed at Matt.

Matt took every word as Becker intended, as compliments. Of a sort.

He smiled back down at Becker, but because he wasn't relaxed the smile came out more as a pained grimace.

Being inside Becker and pushing deeper was making Matt's eyes water, but it felt so damned good. Combined with the stinging sweat now dripping from his hair, Matt couldn't focus on anything except the contours of Becker beneath him and the sounds he was making.

"_Oh God!"_

"Matt!"

Matt grabbed hold of Becker's legs for support and used his hips to force and guide him in and when he finally felt all of cock enveloped, Matt dropped forward, sliding his hands up over Becker's body, kissing him again.

Becker was burning up. He was moaning for more as they kissed, his nails clawed up Matt's sides and across his arse, enticing Matt to do it, to finally take him over the edge.

"_Oh God, Becker… what are you doing to me?" _

"Becker…" Matt whispered softly into his mouth, sucking his tongue as his groin slowly worked up a thrusting rhythm. It was all he could manage for he'd lost the ability to speak as Becker met each and every one of Matt's forceful thrusts with his own.

Unlike their first time, this was harder and rougher. It was a frenzy, another fight as they pushed against each other. Matt felt like he had lost all control. Becker was making him crazy. He always did.

The furious kiss broke apart and Matt couldn't keep his head up. He rested his forehead into the crook of Becker's neck and gnawed at his skin, leaving red teeth marks beside some old scars. He kept up his pounding rate, loving as Becker finally began to stretch and loosen, just a little bit.

"Matt…" The cry in his ear forced Matt to lift his head back up. Becker had screwed his eyes shut, his strength was waning somewhat as his own thrusts felt different. He wasn't pushing up on purpose, he wasn't fighting in fact his whole body was beginning to spasm in small uncontrollable jerks. Then Becker tensed up again, very suddenly.

Matt was tiring himself. The pressure and the heat flushing over his skin was causing him to slow, and it was not what either of them wanted. A hand clasped the back of Matt's neck and he was taken back down for another rough kiss, whilst Becker's other clawed down his spine.

"Don't…" Becker moaned. "Matt… don't you dare fucking stop… not now!"

Matt had no intention of doing so. He pulled away and out, the suddenness of his extraction caused Becker to yell and again the wonderful sound of profanity spewed from his lips.

"Don't be such a wuss." Matt briefly put a stop to Becker's wonderful insults with another kiss and then forced him to roll onto his front. Matt heard Becker laugh, he even struggled under Matt's grip, before he got to his knees and allowed him to carry on.

Matt ran his hands down Becker's sweat-covered back, trailing his mouth after his fingers and he did so with agonizingly slow motions, purposely making Becker more impatient. He grinned when he kissed over the crevice of Becker's arse and then bit into the flesh of his buttock.

"I am going to kill you!" He knew Becker was trying not to smile. Matt nipped a couple more times at his arse, rubbing in the sweat that was pouring off his skin. Matt grabbed Becker's hips and helped to supple things up with a couple more spits. "Damn it, Matt I'm _really_ going to kill you now!"

Matt could have responded to that threat with a witty remark or an insult of his own, it was what Becker expected, instead Matt steadied his shaking body with one hand and with his other, positioned himself where he needed.

Matt pushed his dick hard into Becker's arse and felt him shake beneath. Becker grabbed at a pillow and tried to muffle his pleasured yells, but it did no good. Matt slowly pushed again, steadying Becker as he quivered from the force and when he was once more fully within him, he leaned forward, draping himself over Becker's back. His hands toyed across Becker's chest, rubbing at his nipples and feeling the trails of sweat running over his smooth skin, before bringing them down and grabbing hold of his cock.

He kissed lightly at Becker's back, and then began to finish him off. Matt had found some last remnants of strength and so he began to pound deep and hard, at the same time he wanked Becker's cock.

The swearing and insults he heard had never sounded sweeter in his ears. The grunts and bellows reverberated through Becker's body and into Matt's, the rumble of Becker's voice fluctuated through him and it turned him on even more.

Matt didn't recall how long they carried on, only that it was glorious as Becker fought back beneath him, that it was the best he had ever felt in his entire life. Through the hell that had been his childhood and the loneliness he had endured during his time in this century, he had never felt this connected or this alive.

Then Becker finally went over the edge. His body tensed, all and after hearing some loud orgasmic cries, Matt felt Becker release into his hand. Breathless, Becker finally collapsed, dragging Matt with down with him. He was still in the midst of his orgasm, jerking and gasping, holding his hands over Matt's and feeling him spill, when Matt felt his own impending release.

Matt wanted to stay within him, he wanted to have Becker fill him release but he didn't know why he pulled out and rolled off to the side. Matt landed on his back and now it was his turn to utter the profanities as he brought himself to climax. His head felt like it was spinning, the rush of ecstasy soared through his entire body and then it was followed by an amazing calm, a pleasured ripple all over his skin leaving him gasping with a huge smile on his face.

"You shit….. you son-of-a-bitch… .you fucking…."

Becker couldn't say any more names he wanted to call Matt so instead he slapped a damp hand across Matt's chest, disturbing his moment of reverie as he attempted to calm his breathing. Matt turned his head and saw Becker's wearied face — half-smooched into the pillow — gazing back at him.

Matt smiled.

"It wasn't to your liking?" he asked running both of his hands through his hair and resting them behind his head. "Because if it wasn't, I could always do you again."

"It's not your turn," Becker growled back, again the pillow muffling most of his words.

Matt sniggered. "We're taking turns?"

"Just give me a few minutes and I'll bloody show you."

Matt's smile broke in to a grin. He rolled over onto his front and draped his arm over Becker's back.

"I'll look forward to it."

The response was a dismissive and grumpy groan into the pillow.

A few minutes later, as both of them slowly drifted off into a half-slumber, Matt felt soft, loving fingers stroking over his back.

"Yeah, you'd better."

* * *

><p>Becker was woken by the sound of someone in his apartment. In an instant, he shot up from the bed and retrieved a handgun from his bedside cabinet. Ignoring the severe ache all over his body, he checked his gun was loaded and then proceeded cautiously to the next room.<p>

Someone was… tidying?

"Matt?"

Becker rounded the corner and sure enough Anderson was tidying up their wreckage, dressed only in his Klines. There was also the strong smell of coffee and to Becker's delight… breakfast. Matt turned round and raised an eyebrow in amused astonishment.

"Now that's a sight for sore eyes," he said looking at Becker with a wanting glare. "Though if I were an intruder I don't know what would startle me more, the gun or the fact that you're naked."

"Are you tidying my flat?" Becker put his gun away in another — secure and hidden — safe. "Are you cleaning?"

"I'm also doing breakfast." Matt jabbed a thumb towards the kitchen and then carefully placed some pictures back where they belonged. "You don't mind… do you?"

Becker didn't mind at all. His stomach was rumbling… a good English cooked breakfast was just what he needed right now.

"What time is it?" he asked, breathing in deep the lush smell of bacon, eggs and mushrooms.

"Six am."

"Bit early isn't it?"

Matt didn't really say anything and when he turned away and headed for the kitchen, Becker didn't need an explanation. Today was when Matt needed his help to change the future. Becker felt as if his stomach was doing a somersault inside, for the reality of it all was starting to sink in.

They were both too caught up in last night, in the rawness of what they really were to each other. Becker knew now of where Matt had come from and what his life had been like growing up, but he'd been too wrapped up in his own feelings. He'd been angry about Emily and what she and Matt shared and he was angry that he could have been rejected. He hadn't been at all considerate of what Matt had been through.

"Bollocks."

Becker went back into the bedroom and saw the wreckage they had left. It appeared that both of them had needed to unleash. He pulled on some boxers and slowly traipsed into the kitchen where Matt was pouring him a coffee.

"I'm not doing this for you all the time," Matt said. "Don't get used to it."

"It's appreciated… thanks." They exchanged brief smiles and as Becker sipped at his coffee, Matt tended to the breakfast. "So… what time are we going to the ARC and letting the others know?"

"I called Abby and Lester and the team is convening at 9am," Matt replied. "With everyone else in the loop, the chances we have of stopping Philip will be greater."

"Good. We're up this early… because?"

"You have questions."

"I do?"

Matt nodded. "You want to ask about me, about the mission. I have answers and they may take a while to explain. So I thought we could talk over breakfast."

That sounded like a good idea. Becker's stomach rumbled again and he left to allow Matt finish cooking. He walked straight to his recliner and slumped down into it.

When breakfast was finally served, Becker asked his questions and listened to everything Matt had to say. Matt also showed him a few more images he had stored in his watch. It wasn't easy to hear or look at most of it, especially when Matt recalled his past with an agonized expression on his face. He spoke of losing his mother and his friends, he explained how they were constantly kept on alert; of having to make the toxic vile water drinkable with so little resources. Matt told of a life that was void of any kind of comfort that people now took for granted.

"It was like a miracle when a child came into the world," Matt said. "Most new-borns die because of the Burrowers and some were never even brought into the world because their mothers weren't as quick as everyone else. There were so few of us because people didn't want to risk bringing a child into this hell. It's not a way to live… no amount of tech we had could stop them or keep them from finding us."

Becker didn't want to even imagine living in that time because it wasn't living. He wanted to help Matt and that meant stopping Philip.

_Maybe we can shoot him? _

"I'm hoping we won't have to actually shoot him, Becker."

"You what?" Becker was certain he hadn't said anything. Matt smiled and pointed a finger at his own eyes.

"You get this glassy hopeful look in your eyes when you think about guns."

"I do? So?"

"I'm just saying, Becker… that's all."

"Okay, so tell me Future Boy… when did the trigger happy Matt Anderson _not_ want to shoot people?"

The little in-joke greatly amused Matt. Seeing him smile was wonderful and Becker hoped that he would see it more after his mission was completed, once the future was saved.

Or would he? Becker had to ask, altering the time line wasn't exactly his area of expertise.

"When this is done… what will happen? How will you know if we succeed in changing the future?"

Matt didn't answer.

"Matt?" Becker followed him to the kitchen and when he still didn't get a reply, he grabbed hold of Matt's arm and turned him around. "What will happen?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" Becker slammed a fist against the door of his fridge, which he instantly regretted as the pain throbbed through his hand. "You don't know? What if nothing changes when we stop Philip? What if whatever we do doesn't affect a thing and the world and all of us still die? What if you do change it and… the future is so different that you aren't even born? That you, your family or any of your people cease to exist? Have you considered any of this?"

"I don't bloody know!" Matt snapped back at him. "And for your information I have thought about it! I've had fourteen years to think about it! Besides, it's not as if I alter time on a regular basis! The only thing I do know now is that somehow Philip's machine will kill this world and pretty much everything in it. I have to stop him!"

Matt went to storm out of the kitchen, but Becker grabbed his arm and held him in place. Matt tried to struggle out of his hold, but it was useless as Becker kept a firm grip and lightly pushed him against the wall. The whole revelation of Matt being from the future was still way too overwhelming for Becker, but he wasn't about to abandon him now.

"You will stop him." Becker leaned into Matt and before he even realised what he was doing, Becker kissed a light and tender kiss to his mouth. It lingered only for a moment before Becker pulled away. "You're not going to do this on your own. When you tell Lester everything… you'll have all of our support. You won't be alone in this, Matt. I promise."

The look of surprise on Matt's face caused Becker to frown.

"Did I say something funny?"

"Not at all." Matt rested his hand on Becker's shoulder and squeezed. "What you said, it _really_ means a lot to me. Your support makes all the difference. Thank you."

Matt kissed him back, softly at first but then it became harder and Becker reacted with eagerness and vigour. It didn't last long — much to Becker's dismay — Matt eventually pushed him away and after a few seconds of looking dazed and lightheaded, Matt smiled and walked out of the room.

"We've got an hour and a half before we have to be in ARC. I suggest we both get ready!"

Matt's voice called from down the corridor a few seconds later.

"Get a move on, Becker!"

Becker smiled when he heard water running from the bathroom. The washing up could be saved for later.

* * *

><p>It was a smooth and beautiful ride into the ARC.<p>

Lester parked up his SK-8 and locked it, the alarm activating with a bleep. He stood beside it for a moment, gazing at its sleek beauty and marvelling at its perfection. She was the most beautiful thing — aside from his wife — in the entire world. The Jag had cost him a lot of money, but it was all worth it.

Whatever Anderson had to say in this meeting, it wasn't going to ruin his day.

Nothing was going to go wrong.

Lester stroked a hand over the bonnet of his pride and joy and then walked to the lift. He whistled happily as he rode it to Ops. No one else was in yet, so he had some time to have a cup of coffee and check-up on what had been happening whilst he was away.

Nothing was going to go wrong. Nothing was going to surprise him.

Or so Lester thought.

The two of them didn't see him, but he definitely saw them.

It seemed normal at first, Matt and Becker were friends that much he knew…so the sight of them whispering about something, down by Jess' station, was not of any concern. He thought it nothing more than a simple case of Anderson giving the Head of Security a debrief about this meeting. Matt and Becker did this a lot anyway... so it was normal behaviour.

"Oh!" Lester had to blink.

The touching was subtle but Lester couldn't help but notice Matt's hand sneaking a stroke against Becker's shoulder and the captain grazing his leg against Matt's in response.

"Note to self," Lester groaned and rubbed at his eyes. "You'd better go to Spec Savers."

Until the rest of the team arrived, he locked himself in his office and tried to think about his beloved car.


	4. New Dawn

_Author's Note: Originally called the Longest Day...I've changed this one to New Dawn, because basically it is my take on what happens during those last moments of Series 5. It's the start of a wonderful relationship! ;) Matt/Emily/Becker Again beta'd by Fred. Enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong> PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE <strong>

**New Dawn.**

It was just past 9am. Connor and Abby were late, probably having difficulty in getting up so early, or rather Connor was having difficulty.

Emily came into the ARC with Jess after spending the night at her apartment. The evening had been pleasant enough at first; they'd had some takeaway and watched a film but in the end, the conversation about the two men in their lives had to be brought up.

Emily hadn't minded listening to Jess air her feelings and worries about Becker last night, in fact she felt the two of them had become closer because of it, but it was painful at the same time. Both of them were hurting.

"I'm being silly, aren't I?"

Emily turned suddenly and realised that she hadn't been listening to Jess. Standing a few feet away from the 'couple' in question, Emily had been in some kind of trance, staring at the men as they conversed with some members of Becker's team.

"Not at all," she said smiling at Jess and taking hold of her hand. "It's not the slightest bit silly. How could we not feel like that when the people we…. when they don't feel the same way? But he does care for you, Jess. Becker loves you a great deal."

Jess shyly bobbed her head.

"I know, but he loves me like a big brother loves a sister and that's not exactly what I was hoping for." Jess sighed and turned back in her chair to read the overnight reports on one of her many consoles. "Nor was I quite expecting Matt to be his type… I just never…"

Her voice trailed off but a lovely happy Jess smile beamed across her face.

"It's Matt… when I see them together, it makes sense… I see how happy both of them are and despite how agonising it is, knowing that Becker doesn't feel like that for me… I sincerely hope it works out for both of them. I really do." Jess flicked a few buttons and activated some consoles before sneaking another look at Becker over her shoulder.

Emily followed Jess' gaze and as soon as she locked her eyes on the pair of them, Matt and Becker shared some kind of joke that had not only them but the other soldiers laughing out loud.

They did look happy. Matt certainly appeared more confident, his posture wasn't slouched as if the world's heaviest burden was weighing down upon him. The night he had spent with Becker had obviously helped—she knew what they had done together—but Emily couldn't help but feel a little like Jess right now. Matt had chosen Becker, plain and simple and that rejection made her insides twist and ache.

However, the kiss Matt had given her had felt like he wanted her. It wasn't the empty and soul destroying kisses she'd experienced with her husband and it meant much more than those she had 'connected' with when she journeyed through the anomalies. God knows she found Matt attractive, but his genuine kindness and his humour, everything about him made him different from all the others.

He was sincere even when he was teasing… the childish and mischievous glint in his eyes, combined with his beautiful accent certainly captivated people's attention. She thought him to be a man who—despite the having lied about where or when he had come from—wasn't the kind to lie purposely for his own selfish reasons. She didn't believe that he had faked that kiss in the panic room… Matt couldn't have been faking it, could he? Emily thought she might actually be falling apart, or losing the plot by going this crazy over a man from the future.

The kiss and everything that Matt Anderson had said had Emily spinning round in circles. She had abandoned the life she could have had in the 1800s for him… she had abandoned everything she knew, her home, for what? It appeared she had nothing now that Matt had chosen another man.

Becker. The soldier who was more like Matt than either of them cared to admit. Becker had difficulty in saying what he felt, because he didn't want to show just how much he was hurting or how vulnerable he really was. A soldier wasn't supposed to show their emotions… they weren't supposed to show they had weaknesses.

Emily had heard from Abby that he had lost someone he cared for, someone he had loved, and now as a result of that death, he was fiercely protective of this team, his friends and now Matt.

They argued and fought, they bickered and teased like rivals but they were really the best of friends. Now it seemed that they were more than that. It was an unusual relationship, not love exactly but it was beautifully unconventional. Emily had seen other men bond like this and they were almost inseparable because of it. So Matt hadn't completely surprised her by choosing Becker. It didn't stop Emily from feeling the disappointment as overwhelmed her.

"I hope they'll be happy too." She meant it, but somehow the words didn't sound sincere enough to her ears.

As soon as those words came out of her mouth, Matt looked her way and immediately the confidence and happiness Becker had brought out in him disappeared. There was sadness, guilt and shame in his eyes and Emily hated it. She didn't want him to feel like that because of her. What made it even worse was she saw the same look in Becker.

Emily had to look away so she turned her back on both of them, pretending that she was interested with Jess' work. The two men had finally found something and she wasn't going to get in the way of that. She didn't need to turn round to know that they were looking at her, but when the sound of Connor's voice came from behind, she did and sure enough, Matt and Becker were trying their best to pretend they had been looking anywhere else but at her.

"Okay, people," Lester called from his office. "It's time to give me the bad news… as if the reports on my desk haven't told me already, but hearing it all from you lot will make me feel so much better!"

Matt bowed his head, let Lester's sarcasm pass over him, and led the other members of his team into the office. Emily trailed behind, hoping not to catch his eye or his further attention towards her. She didn't want to see his sadness, or sap anymore of that confidence he had achieved.

However it was Becker who caught her elbow and whilst the others were blissfully unaware, he pulled her away from the door.

"I feel like a right prat." Emily turned round and looked up into dark brown apologetic eyes. "I behaved like a complete and total utter one, yesterday…over Matt and me. I'm sorry."

"Becker, you have nothing to apologise for." Emily touched lightly on his arm, noting an already fading bite mark in his skin, that wasn't creature related. She couldn't help but smile even though the sight of it pained her. "Like I said… he surprised us both."

"But…"

"Becker..." Emily took hold of his hand and interlaced her fingers with his. Her thumb lightly stroked over the back of his knuckles and afterwards her palm squeezed his hand as she smiled the strongest smile she could muster. "It's all right. Really, it is. He made his choice and he has you now, so it's all right."

"No, it's not."

Becker responded in kind to her comforting by grazing his thumb over her wrist. He let go quickly when he saw her startled reaction and strode into the office, leaving her in the doorway.

"You are still a part of this team, Ms Merchant." Lester said, beckoning her in with an impatient wave. "So that means I can yell at you as well. Come inside."

Emily walked in and took a position behind Matt, though she didn't actually remember doing so, or closing the door behind her. As she clasped her hands on the back of Matt's chair she couldn't shake off the effects of Becker's caress. She hadn't always seen eye to eye with Becker, but now he seemed different to her and it was probably because of Matt.

That man from the future was still a mystery to her, despite what she knew and how she felt about him. Whatever had happened between the two of them had certainly changed Becker.

Emily wasn't really sure on what she was supposed to do or feel about it.

* * *

><p>"So… I leave you for a matter of days and in that time, you nearly destroy the ARC and you turn out to be either a visitor from the future or, in fact and I think this it's the more likely option, clinically mad."<p>

Lester was not happy.

"The former." Matt replied, a tiny smile curling his lips. "But then I would say that if I was clinically mad, right?"

Lester scowled at Becker as he casually leant against the glass wall.

"Do you have security checks for this sort of thing?"

"Sorry, sir," Becker said. "The machine that checks whether people are from the future was out of order."

Matt had to cover his mouth to prevent the laughter from bursting out.

"I'll do the sarcasm, if you don't mind!"

That little comment from Becker made all the difference to Matt. Emily noticed he was a lot more confident having that support and now as Lester seemed lost for an alternative plan to stop Philip, Matt gave him an option.

"I'll go to New Dawn to shut it down," he stated. Connor went to stand by his side.

"I gave him the security codes," Connor said. "He's got the schematics for the whole building. If he can make it to the machine, he should be able to sabotage it."

They made it sound as if there wasn't really much else to the problem. The men were going to wing their way through anything they come up against, because the premise was quite simple.

Shut down Burton's machine.

It didn't seem so simple to her, and when she looked at Becker across the room, it appeared he thought exactly the same. Becker didn't appear keen on this course of action, because there were too many risks involved.

Matt was so sure that stopping this machine was going to save the world from being destroyed. But what if he and Connor stopped this experiment and ended up killing the people they hoped to save? Emily met Becker's gaze. Perhaps he was thinking the same thing she was.

As if on cue, the man at the centre of all this entered the office and brought with him an extremely awkward silence. Philip Burton grinned at the sudden halt in conversation. He knew they were talking about him and he had this smug, satisfied look upon his face as they all walked out of the room.

Emily had to say something to Matt. A huge fear about this mission and what he planned to do compelled her to forget about her feelings towards him and speak up.

"What if you're not supposed to stop the machine? What if it's actually your intervention that makes everything go wrong?"

"I deal with that every day," he replied. "All I know is there's something I have to do and I really think this is it."

"And if you're wrong?"

"Well then." Matt offered up a little smile. "I'm responsible for the deaths of everything on this planet."

Matt had made a decision and it was one he had to stick with. He hadn't told Emily everything about where he had come from and what kind of life he had endured, but she knew that it was a tough life and if a person had to make a decision, there were would be no changing their mind once they did.

Now, as Matt issued orders to the other members of the team, as a T-rex ran loose in London, Emily could see why he was a good leader. He let nothing else matter except what he had to do and just when she thought that the T-rex was trouble enough…then came the multiple anomalies.

All over the world, thousands, possibly millions of rifts in time opened up allowing creatures and people from different eras to spill into this time. To Emily and the others, this felt like the end of the world, the ARC teams couldn't cope…. the world couldn't cope with the incursions but Matt seemed to be fine with it. He knew what it was.

He said it was something called Convergence. Apparently this was normal and the Earth had been through this before and will continue to do so. As he explained it to her in the car she saw the utter look of fascination and awe in his eyes.

"Every million years or so, the magnetic poles of the earth reverse. Anomalies are part of this transition. In order to survive, life has to adapt to the new conditions and it can as long as Convergence is allowed to run its natural path, which it has done every time until now. Philip's intervention is going to change that forever."

"Then you will stop him."

He seemed to agree. Matt nodded his head and started up the car. As Jess directed him through the grid-locked city, down streets only she knew were clear, Emily allowed him to concentrate. After all, this was why he'd come to this time.

Emily wasn't going to burden him with conversation. The drive was done in silence, and neither of them made mention of the rather unconventional situation they had going. Emily wanted to, she badly wanted to talk to Matt about Becker, about them and how mixed up and confused she was feeling, but now was not the time. They all had bigger things to worry about.

So Emily did what she could to help him. She stayed by his side, fending off Pterosaurs and feeble security guards, making sure he could do what he needed. It all went by so quickly, Emily couldn't keep track. She had taken a few beatings, and gave more than her fair share back at the guards. Emily did everything she could for Matt but when the machine activated, when the largest anomaly she had ever seen finally opened up, she felt as if her heart had burst.

They'd failed.

"CONNOR!"

Abby's piercing scream was agonizing as she watched the man she loved be dragged through the anomaly. Emily grabbed onto Abby, wrapped her arms around her and tried to keep the distraught woman from running through after him. Tears were streaming down her face and she struggled to release herself, Abby was determined, frantic to follow him.

Emily wished that she could of, but there was no telling where this anomaly led. She wasn't going to let Abby get herself killed.

"Let me go!" Abby cried. "I have to go after him! Let me go!"

She pushed and kicked and tried to rip at Emily's arms, but Emily tightened her grip and tried not to let Abby's anguished cries affect her too much. Yet Abby's screams only made it difficult. Connor was gone, possibly dead, how could Abby react any different? Losing a friend was bad enough for Emily, but to lose someone you love, she didn't want to think on it so she tried to comfort Abby as much she could.

Emily never wanted to go through that pain, but she didn't know then, that she would.

* * *

><p>He was standing all alone, looking at the glowing anomaly with sad determination. Emily knew instantly what he was thinking of doing. He was going to drive the car straight into the anomaly.<p>

_"No! Oh god, please… no! Matt!" _

Her entire chest tightened, Emily couldn't breathe and her eyes began to sting with tears.

"You know what I have to do. It's all about this."

She knew, but she didn't want it to be true. Matt didn't need to go and sacrifice himself for the rest of the world, he didn't need to end his life… there already was a plan to close this artificial portal. He could stay here.

Emily felt like shouting. She wanted to yell to gain Becker's attention, she wanted the captain to come over and stop Matt from doing this suicidal stunt. If Becker knew what he was about to do, there would be nothing to get in his way. He would drag Matt clear from this place, he'd probably even hit him if he thought it would do any good, but she knew that Becker would do something. Anything.

But Emily couldn't find her voice to call him. She could barely breathe, the words were breaking up in her throat as she tried to speak. Then as she slowly forced herself to inhale and exhale, different words came out and Becker never heard her.

"If you fail, you die." Her fingers clenched tightly at the leather of Matt's jacket. "If you succeed, if you change the future, you might never have even existed. You could just… disappear."

Matt placed a single finger on her lips, and whispered softly that it was going to be okay, but it wasn't. Nothing would ever be okay if he was gone. He kissed her briefly on her mouth, turned away and headed back towards the car.

She felt so numb. Emily couldn't move because every part of her was hurting. It pained her more when she heard Becker mentioning about the steering wheel and seatbelt… he hadn't a clue that his partner, his friend, was about to go and kill himself. Emily closed her eyes.

"Stop him, Becker… please. Don't let him do this."

It was too late.

"What are you doing?" Becker's distressed voice yelled above the roar of the car's engine. "MATT! No! No! Stop!"

Becker was screaming now, louder than Connor and Abby and it was beyond agony. For the first time since she had met him, the usually stoic and controlled captain of the ARC was falling apart. He was breaking into pieces, bellowing his voice raw and all for nothing as the car disappeared.

"MATT!"

Becker's tortured yell was the most painful thing Emily ever heard for it gave voice to her own pain, it was just what she wanted to express but could not. Then as the two anomalies came together, the air around them roared and whipped up a fury that drowned their voices.

They were standing in the midst of a storm, unable to move as the force of the anomaly held them in place. The light grew brighter and the howling of the winds filled her ears. Emily couldn't see or hear anything and then there was a crushing wave of air, a gush of wind that nearly knocked her off her feet.

Then there was nothing.

When Emily opened her eyes, there was no anomaly, no ruins of Philip's factory and no sign of the car or Matt. Smoke and dust billowed around her, there was only desolation.

Her tears began to fall. Her body was shaking as she sobbed and she would have collapsed to the ground had Becker not taken her in his arms and clung her tightly to his chest. Becker kissed the top of her head and as his face gently rested in her hair, Emily felt him shaking against her. As he was keeping her from crashing to the dirt, Emily coiled her arms around him and did the same for Becker… giving him the strength he needed in his grief.

It was barely enough for either of them.

When the smoke cleared, the shock and joy of seeing Matt alive and well was almost as agonising as losing him.

* * *

><p>There was no walk back home, thankfully.<p>

Becker had called for two cars from one of the other teams to collect them, so as Abby and Connor slumped into rear seat of one, Emily, Matt and Becker got into the second.

The ride back seemed to last for ages, not that Emily minded. The city and the chaos Convergence had left behind flew past the windows as she lay in Matt's embrace and as she nestled against his body, feeling the comfort of his arm around her shoulder, she'd never felt happier. Of course no one knew if they changed the future for the better yet, all that mattered was that Matt was alive and the anomaly was closed.

She wasn't the only one who was happy. Becker wasn't listening to a single word his men in the front were saying for he was leaning his head back against the seat and resting his eyes. He was really happy. He grabbed at Emily's hand suddenly, opened his eyes and quite surprisingly kissed the back of her hand.

It startled her, for she felt that same excited shiver jolt through her arm just like it did at Lester's office. She tensed for a moment, but seeing the goofy grin on Becker's face finally made Emily kiss his hand in response and smile. He was relieved Matt was okay, and so was she.

After a few more minutes of watching the blurred scenery go past, Emily felt her own eyes begin to flutter closed. She hazarded a guess that it would be another ten minutes before they got back to ARC… a rest would be perfect.

"You owe me a truck, Matt."

Emily smirked into Matt's jacket. A kiss on the back of the hand was a gesture most men would give a woman to show their affection, but when it came to Matt and Becker… their affectionate gestures were vastly different from the norm.

"I do not owe you a truck." Matt sighed in frustration. "What you had was not a feckin' truck, it was a large… car."

"Fine. You owe me a large 'feckin'car." Becker sarcastically air-quoted with his fingers.

"Er? Why?"

"Did you not just drive said vehicle into the anomaly and let it get destroyed?"

"It would have been destroyed if I'd driven it or not. Wasn't that the plan?"

"Yes, well…. that's beside the point! The point is that it was a stupid and idiotic plan."

"It was Connor's idea, not mine, blame him."

Emily had to cover her mouth with her hand as there was a few brief moments of silence. Even though she couldn't see him—Emily knew that Becker was pouting like a boy whose favourite toy had been lost or broken. She knew that Matt was trying hard not to laugh as well.

There was a huge huff and a puffing sigh.

"Okay, Connor owes me a new car."

"You're a bit touchy aren't you? Were you really that worried about me?"

"I liked that car."

Emily then felt herself squashed as Becker leaned into her. It wasn't a wholly unpleasant experience being between the pair of bickering men.

Becker lowered his voice so the men in the front couldn't hear.

"You nearly died, Matt, because of that stunt you pulled." Becker's voice held a slightly threatening tone. "Do that to us again and I swear I will knock ten buckets of crap out of you. Is that clear?"

"Crystal." Matt grinned. "No more heroic stunts."

"Good."

"Well, maybe I can risk my life by saving the world just a few more times?"

"Are you seriously asking for a kicking?"

Matt chuckled.

"I'm just messing with you," he said. "Well…sort of."

For a moment, Becker wasn't at all amused by Matt's joke, in fact he looked angry and pissed off that Matt could even make light of such a situation, but a few seconds later Emily watched a crafty smile slowly play across his lips. The smile broke into a grin and Becker took hold of Emily's hand again.

He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply.

"You're an idiot, Matt."

tbc


	5. Nothing Else Matters

_Author's Note: This is where the rest of the story kicks off...or rather the plot does. Originally called the Train Job...because well this is what I think happens immediately after the last episode of Season 5. The team go to find a missing train._

_Primeval is not mine...though i wish Becker and Matt were. _

* * *

><p><strong>PAST, FUTURE AND PRESENT<strong>

**Nothing Else Matters**

"_Go back! You've got to go back!" _

He thought everything was all right. He thought they had succeeded and all they had to do now was keep control on the anomalies. It would be another million or so years before the next Convergence, so Matt thought there wasn't anything more to worry about.

As Abby drove the SUV to the anomaly site, Connor and Emily were in the back coming out with multiple ideas on how to cope with the new mission. A train had gone through an anomaly and without knowing the time era, they didn't know exactly how they would get the train back, or any people on that train. Abby joined in the conversation, offering plans of her own which in turn started Connor off on an excited babble.

"It could work!" Connor grinned, opened up his laptop and furiously started typing, sticking his tongue out the corner of his mouth as he did so. "We can make this actually work! Nice one, Abby!"

"I'm not just a pretty face." Abby smirked back at him by looking in the rear view mirror.

Connor beamed back at her, the tapping of the keys pausing momentarily as he did. "No… you're not just," he shyly murmured. Connor blushed a little and then the tapping of the keyboard started up again.

Matt wasn't in the same place. He didn't need to be, as Connor certainly had a handle on the mission's problems. Matt was distracted.

He had been distracted ever since he'd seen the other Matthew Anderson back at ARC. He'd only gone to get his mobile phone, and there _he _was, bedevilled, bloodied, scared and angry. It had freaked Matt out and so had those words.

"_You have to go back." _

It was clear he had made things worse in the future and the second him hadn't given any explanation about where he had come from or how Matt could go back. The anomalies Philip and Connor had created no longer existed.

Matt needed answers and he was determined to find out what the hell was going on. Matt was angry now, he was annoyed that after all these years the mission still hadn't ended. Surely he could have some kind of life after stopping Philip and New Dawn? Surely he could finally settle down?

More than anything Matt wanted to have that conversation with Becker and Emily, he wanted to let them know that he needed them, that he wanted both of them. He thought that he could finally have the life that everyone else had. He wanted to be able to just go to work and do his job like any other person, and go home at the end of the day and spend some time with those he loved, with his friends.

Working for ARC might be an unusual job, but containing prehistoric creatures and dealing with the anomalies was a pleasant norm for Matt. Now, he couldn't even enjoy it. His mind was feeling dizzy with many thoughts and questions and that dizziness quickly became a pounding headache. Matt remained silent in the car as the others talked about their ideas, he rubbed at his temples to try and stop the ache, but the words of his other self wouldn't shut up.

"_Go back! You have to go back!"_

"_Go back!" _

"Jesus-bloody-Christ, I know!"

The car screeched to a halt as Abby slammed on the breaks. Matt jerked forward and was pulled painfully back by the seatbelt.

"Are you okay, Matt?" she asked. "What's up?"

The headache was getting worse as he fretted over his future self, or was it alternate self? Matt wasn't even sure that the other him existed. He could have been just a figment of his imagination or a manifestation of his doubts and fears. Matt was probably going crazy.

"I'm… I'm fine, Abby. Just keep driving."

"Are you sure?"

"Abby! Please, just drive, will you?"

He didn't mean to snap at Abby, but he wasn't about to apologise either. Matt looked out of the window and rubbed at his forehead. It still did little to dull the ache throbbing in his skull. The hand on his shoulder, Emily's hand, didn't do much either but he appreciated it.

Abby continued on towards the station, sneaking concerned and worried looks to Matt when she could. He sent her an apologetic smile but for the rest of the journey continued to stare out of the window.

He had to find out what the hell was going on.

* * *

><p>There was some traffic to get through. The curious onlookers, masses of news reporters and police standing behind barriers that other ARC teams had erected. Matt saw the reporters swarming towards the vehicle as it parked, but Becker's men managed to keep them back. The soldiers shouldn't be doing this, but the police were just as intrigued by who they were.<p>

After Convergence, it was impossible to hide the truth from the public, the T-R-rex and other creatures couldn't be buried. It was up to the Minister and other PR people to give them the explanations. Matt wasn't going to get caught up with their hounding for answers.

He expected the barrage of voices yelling questions as he and the rest of the team got their weapons prepped, he ignored them, or tried to.

"Who are you people? What's going on?"

"How long have you been doing this? Why was it kept a secret?"

"Do you know the lives that have been lost because of creatures that came through those things?"

Matt couldn't stop himself. _How dare they? Those people had no idea about the good lives lost, the people who had died to save them. Cutter, Stephen, Captain Ryan. Sarah. They had no bloody clue either that so many more could have died because of Philip Burton._

He snapped.

"Do you know the lives that have been saved because of us? So why don't you back the hell off and let us do our jobs?"

Connor, Abby and Emily stood stunned, their mouths open in shock at his outburst. They had not expected this from him at all, but then again they didn't have the skull-splitting pain of a headache brought on by seeing an alternate version of themselves. He should explain, especially to Emily, but he couldn't.

The barrage of questions that followed began to get on his nerves. Matt was normally a very patient person, but the voices were breaking down what little patience he had left. His fist clenched tightly into a ball.

"Matt… let's go. Forget about them." Abby patted him gently on the back. It was only when Emily stood beside him and handed him a small EMD that he was able to lead the others through the barricade towards Becker, without snapping again.

"My guys have already got the anomaly locked," said Becker as he walked on Matt's other side into the station. "What time it leads back to is unknown at the moment, Greaves forgot the device, but we'll soon find out. No incursions detected."

"Good." It didn't feel good.

It was eerie to see the station so empty and the footsteps on the floor echoed loudly inside his head. He wished he had some painkillers on hand, but Matt just carried on, his feet stepping in time with the thumps of his headache.

Suddenly, out the corner of his eye, Matt saw something in the shadows and it made him jump.

"Matt!" He felt Emily's hand touch his back and that startled him as well. He shrugged Emily off him, took two steps away from her and bumped straight into Becker. "Matt, what's wrong?" she demanded. "Are you sure you're okay, you've been on edge ever since we left the ARC?"

Becker grabbed lightly at each of Matt's arms but Matt pushed him away only to stumble again and nearly crash to a wall. Another wave of dizziness overcame him and he leant on the wall for a moment to regain his composure.

"I'm fine, Emily. I thought I saw something, that's all."

"You're not fine, mate," said Becker, looking intently at him. Matt figured that he wasn't looking great because Becker shook his head. "You look anything but fine. You don't look well at all and you shouldn't be here."

"It might have something to do with when he went into the anomaly," Connor guessed as he poked his head around Becker's side. "We don't know what happened to him when he went in to it. There could have been side effects we don't know about. You know, like when Helen changed the timeline, Jenny and Claudia? Cutter said Jenny used to be someone else… so if people change, you might…"

Matt shook his head. There was nothing different about him… or was there? Now the thumping ache felt as if it was going cause his head to explode.

"You should go back to the ARC and get checked out, Matt."

No. He didn't want to go back there he had a job to do. He had to find out more about what had gone wrong with the future.

"I don't need to get checked out, Becker!" he snapped, again. "I'm okay! Really! Let's concentrate on the mission, shall we?"

"I can make you go back." Becker lowered his voice and gently clasped his fingers around Matt's arm. "We don't know how you were affected by the anomalies. Let the doctors check you over, just to be on the safe side."

"Becker, I'm bloody fine. I've already been cleared by the CMO, they told me I can carry on doing my job."

"If something has changed and you're not…"

"Do you want me to punch you, Becker? Because if you carry on saying what you're saying, I will."

"Punch me, Matt and its proof enough that you need to rest and see a damned doctor. What the hell is up with you?"

"Nothing is up! It's been a long day, that's all." Matt sighed and briefly touched Becker's shoulder. "I'm sorry, but can we please concentrate on the mission?"

"All right." Becker wasn't exactly convinced. "But if you start acting like a pillock again I will take you back to ARC myself. You're no use to this team if you're not 100%. Clear?"

"Clear."

He saw the look Emily and Becker exchanged. There was worry and concern in their eyes, but none of the team said anything further as Matt led them to the platform where the train disappeared.

Matt wasn't okay and he should have said so. For a moment, the idea of going back to the ARC and getting himself medically checked out actually sounded good. He hadn't meant to snap at them, or make such an issue out of it, but he was still capable of doing his job. Matt didn't need to be mollycoddled.

The headache was doing him in and as Connor and the others concentrated on the anomaly, getting the all-important date, Matt walked cautiously along the platform.

He had to tell them what he'd seen, but he wasn't going to until he had more information. Just in case they thought he was clinically mad. Not that they didn't already!

When he reached the far end, Matt looked down along the track going out of the station. There was nothing—that he could see—that looked abnormal, but before he'd even turned to walk back to the others, he sensed something. Someone was sitting on the bench hidden in the shadows.

When Matt did turn around, the figure on the bench rose up to his feet.

Of course it was him.

"Go back, Matt. You have to go back."

Matt froze. His feet refused to move as the other him came out into the sunlight streaming through from the domed ceiling.

When he'd first seen his alternate self, the corridor at the ARC had been very poorly lit, and Matt had thought the guy had looked bad. Close up, he could see he was much worse. He looked terrible. His skin was pale, smeared with dirt and blood and he looked like he had crawled out of hell.

"I can't." Matt cautiously approached the other him and held out a hand towards his shoulder. When he touched the second Matt, it was a relief to feel his physical presence.

He was here, solid matter.

_Not crazy then. Great! _

"You can, you have to. We need you to." The alternate Matt stumbled, clearly weak from his injuries.

"I thought I had stopped New Dawn."

"You have. This is something else… it's the predators… something is different, they've changed." Alternate Matt rubbed at his blood-covered face then he suddenly collapsed to the ground, moaning with pain. Matt knelt down to help him, but as he tried to keep hold, he saw more blood soaking through his clothes. "You have to go back… please!"

"The anomalies are gone. They don't exist, there is no way back."

"Not to our future… to our past… Emily…she needs you to go back, through _this_ anomaly!"

Matt looked up from his alternate self and gazed down the platform to where his friends and teammates were looking at the small glowing orb of the anomaly.

"Tell me more," Matt said, slowly getting to his feet and reaching for his phone inside his jacket. "Tell me after I get you some help. I'll call for an ambulan…."

His voice trailed off. He had only looked away for a few seconds but when Matt gazed back down to his other self, he was gone. He'd vanished.

_Nope. Lester's right…you're clinically mad. You're going crazy. _

"MATT!" Connor's yell didn't register at first. Matt was staring at the ground, where his future-self had been mere moments ago, absolutely gobsmacked. They weren't going to believe him if he told them. "Matt, we got a confirmed time!"

Connor waved him over and Matt ran back, feeling more dazed and confused than before. All of them, with the exception of Connor—who was so buzzed and excited about something—were looking greatly concerned about him. Becker and Emily were even more so.

"What have we got?" he asked, blanking Becker completely.

"Well, we've got a date of 1932." said Connor holding out his device for Matt to see. "Isn't this great? Another human era that isn't the Victorian age… no disrespect, Emily."

"None taken," she replied.

"The atom was split in that year! The neutron was discovered! Did you know it was also the year that the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened? I mean how cool is this?"

"It really is cool" said Becker, who clearly didn't think it was right now. "Connor, we're not going to go through the anomaly and then get on a plane to Sydney in 1932. Lester wouldn't allow it and I certainly won't. It's a ridiculous idea."

"Oh. That's… you know I've always wanted to go to Australia." Connor moped and scuffed his boot on the ground. "It would have been nice."

Becker shook his head.

"This is not going to be easy." Becker propped his EMD over his shoulder. "On the plus side, there's no prehistoric dinosaur or predator through there to kill us. On the minus side, this is not a remote and desolate era where we can clean all this mess up and not worry about it affecting the future. This station will be there in the 1930s. The people are going to notice a 21st century train on their tracks and that includes the authorities."

"Not to mention the people on that train will have no idea what's going on," Abby added. "They'll be scared and could do something to make their situation more dangerous. We need to get to them as quickly as possible."

"And get that train back."

"We'll need a new plan," Connor said.

"We have to go through."

Matt walked up to the small sphere floating in the air and touched a single finger against it. The warmth tickled his skin, it crackled and when he withdrew it, the whole of his arm continued to tingle.

"Sounds like a plan," said Abby as she hi-fived with Connor. Connor was beyond excited now.

"Not you." Becker looked at Matt. "If Philip's anomaly has affected you in any way, being back in the 30s isn't going to help you if something happens. I'll get one of the guys to take you…"

"No. I'm going." Matt had to keep a handle on his temper. He knew Becker was only looking out for him, and the others were too, but he wasn't going to forgo this mission. "I'm fine and I know what I'm doing. I'm going through this anomaly and that's final."

They all nodded, but Becker was looking far from happy with that ruling. In fact he was trying to keep a lid on a temper of his own. Matt understood, for if this was any other place and the others weren't around, Becker would physically drag him back but now wasn't the time. This new future they had created, or might have created, depended on him going back through this anomaly.

"So we go," Matt said. "Just us five and we have to be properly attired."

"Huh?" Connor looked up from the device he held in his hands.

"He means we've got to be dressed properly for the time, Connor."

"I know what it means, Abby. I was just… this is a big change from what we normally do. We're actually going to do this? Dress up I mean? Like time travellers?"

They all looked to Matt for the final confirmation. He nodded.

So they were going back to London 1932. Quite why his alternate-self thought it important to go back to this time or why that particular year was going to make much of a difference, he didn't know, but it involved Emily and the predators… somehow. She had done so much for him and now it was time to return that favour.

Matt got out his mobile and rang Lester's number at ARC. He had to devise a plan and square things with him first, but even then, Lester wasn't going to be thrilled about it.

* * *

><p>"We're ready."<p>

Matt took off the fedora he was wearing and turned around to see his fellow team mates. They looked great and he smiled with approval.

Connor wore a brown suit and his usually scruffy hair was slicked back with tons of gel. Connor really pulled off the 30's look and he knew it. Matt smiled even more as the genius flipped on a fedora of his own and did a little dance.

"This is so cool! I feel like Kirk going through the Guardian of Forever!"

"I thought I was Kirk, you're Spock and Becker's…."

Matt's voice trailed off as Becker approached wearing his 30's attire. Matt was actually beyond stunned by just how much cooler the man was in a suit instead of his army combats. He had to grin.

"You didn't want to go for another colour?" Matt asked. "Something different?"

"What? I look good in black."

_Yeah you do. _

"Matt… you didn't tell me you liked Star Trek." said Connor. Becker raised a quizzical eyebrow that—dammit—caused Matt to turn away and stifle a smirk. He'd been caught out being a bit of a geek.

"My dad and I watched it now and then."

No one replied to that, for which Matt was most grateful, because that was when Emily and Abby came striding down towards them, looking absolutely stunning.

They weren't wearing the glitzy gorgeous evening wear favourable at that time, but they looked more amazing than they had at Jenny's wedding.

Abby wore a dress of pale blue, whilst Emily was wearing green. Both had wraps of fake fur around their shoulders, for there was no way Abby would ever wear the real thing. She had insisted on it and no one was going to argue.

Both of the ladies appeared to be happy with their change of clothes and when they came to a stop in front of the three gawping men, they grinned at each other.

"You'd think they haven't seen a woman before," said Emily standing next to Matt and allowing the fake pelt around her shoulders rub against him.

Abby didn't reply to that as she finally took in Connor's suave appearance. She was just as doe-eyed at him as he was at her.

_"Okay, listen up, time travellers." _Lester's voice sounded in each of their earpieces. _"Go and get those people and the train back as soon as possible. Do what you can to maintain the time line and don't screw up. Becker, your men will remain and act as back-up should you need it. Good luck and don't unmake my existence. I shall be very angry if you do."_

So that was their send off.

Becker, carrying a small EMD, went through first , followed by Connor, Abby and then Emily. Matt paused for a moment by the anomaly, watching as it glimmered like a really expensive Christmas decoration. He went to take a few steps forward, but paused.

Matt looked around. Behind the oblivious group of Becker's men, hiding again in the shadows was himself. He was leaning against the wall and looked even weaker than before. He looked like death.

He wasn't going to waste any more time. Matt stepped back to 1932, where once again the fate of the world was on his shoulders.

tbc


	6. 1932

_Author's Note: The team are back in the year 1932...how cool would they look in that attire? I mean really? XD As usual, this has been beta'd by FredBassett. I do not own the characters except for a couple of new OCs. _

_Please do enjoy. _

* * *

><p><strong>PAST,PRESENT AND FUTURE <strong>

**1932**

He had never seen anything like this in all of his 21 years.

Edward thought it looked like something out of an H.G Wells or even an Aldous Huxley book it was so weird and alien. Why he'd been pulled off his regular duties and assigned to stay here with three others and guard this thing, he didn't know, but one thing was clear. He was tired.

Edward wanted to sleep, but orders prevented him from doing so. That and absolute utter awe. This small silver glowing sphere had once been a huge golden light surrounding hundreds of what looked like pieces of shattered mirror. It had brought forth the monstrous train behind him. He never saw any of the people who had been on it he didn't know where they were being held but all that mattered was he follow orders.

Failure to do so would mean serious consequences. The people in charge were not from any branch of the government he knew of, but it was obvious to everyone here that they were not to mess with them. They scared him, they scared everyone.

Edward reached into his pocket and picked out a pack of cigarettes. He slid one out of the pack and placed it between his lips. He was just about to light it when all of a sudden, the silver orb extended and grew back into the golden ball of light. The cigarette dropped from his mouth and he scrambled for his gun.

Edward was too slow. By the time he got his weapon in his hand, he heard a strange electronic hum and when he looked up, he came face to face with the end of a very alien looking weapon. Once the fear subsided slightly, his eyes followed the length of the gun until he saw who was holding it. A tall man dressed in black was staring back at him and his grip on the weapon was rock steady. He was not in the least bit afraid.

"I would put that down, if I were you. And your friends had better do the same."

Was this an alien? He had to be, coming through a portal like that, but how could a being from another world speak perfect English?

"I'd do it, guys, really."

The other alien, who wore a fine brown suit, had a northern accent? What the hell?

Edward noticed there were others emerging from the portal, two women and one other man and they looked nothing like aliens. They looked normal, but that was probably their plan.

Not wanting to be shot by the aliens, Edward put his gun down and so did the others who had been supposedly watching as well. They'd failed to react quickly enough, which was ridiculous considering they were older than him and more 'experienced'.

"Gentleman, everything is all right. Don't be alarmed" The third man, with a strong Irish accent stepped forward and took up position next to the man with the gun. " We know you're here guarding the train for a reason and right now, I would really appreciate it if you could tell us what has happened to the people on this train and who is in charge of your operation?"

The Irishman was their leader? Edward's brain was going crazy. If these were aliens, how or why did they even bother with accents, unless… they didn't have a single clue about them?

"He'll be on his way," Edward said, caring not that his colleagues were glaring at him and mouthing for him to shut the hell up. "He'll know that you've come through that thing and he won't be happy with you at all. Or us for that matter."

"That's usually the way with the people in charge." The chirpy northerner grinned and gave the tall man a nudge with his elbow. "They're never happy with anything we do. It's moan, moan, moan, moan moan and with plenty of sarcasm for added effect, right?"

"Ssh, Connor!" The blonde woman pulled him back to her and the man called Connor sheepishly stood by her side, whilst their own leader dealt with the situation.

The Irishman smiled and Edward couldn't help but smile back, even though the possibility of thought control was rearing its ugly head. He didn't want to be mind controlled.

"What's your name, son?" The Irishman asked.

Edward was cut off by one of the older men he'd been working with. A shifty looking agent he knew only as Beeks.

"He's just a boy. You will deal with me…"

The Irishman shook his head.

"No. I don't think so. So…what's your name?"

"Edward."

"Hi, Ed…can I call you Ed?"

He nodded.

"Nice to meet you, Ed. Now, we're not going to harm any of you. We just want to speak to your superiors and get our people back. That's all."

"That's all? Your thug isn't going to shoot us with his ray gun?"

The tall Englishman looked insulted by that comment.

"Thug? Listen, _boy_, I am not a thug! " The man then looked to his leader, with a slightly hurt expression on his face. "Do I come across as thuggish?"

The Irishman hid a grin behind his hand at the outburst from his friend, but he got back his composure quickly.

"Sorry! It was a poor choice of words!" said Edward. "Please, don't shoot me!"

"Don't worry, he won't shoot you," said the Irishman.

Edward believed him. There was something about this man/alien that seemed trustworthy, unless it was the mind control. The three others with Edward did not believe him, in fact they were getting extremely riled. Beeks and another man called Randall were going for their guns, whilst the third, Young, already had his knife concealed in his hand. Seconds later, both the Irishman and the Thug had their death rays trained on all of them.

"We won't shoot you if you don't do something stupid. So don't do anything stupid."

"That seems unlikely to happen, doesn't it?" asked the Thug.

Edward hadn't felt it before, but he was shaking. This was way out of his depth, he wasn't trained or experienced in dealing with this kind of thing, and he hoped to God that the others would calm down and not provoke the aliens. He also wished that he wouldn't be around when Ackley came… because it would be highly probable that he would be killed for ineptness.

"We're not going to do anything!" said Edward, his voice stammering with fear.

"Shut up, you little git!" yelled Beeks. "Damn! I told him not to assign a wet newbie tosser to us!"

The sound of a peculiar shot followed and Beeks slumped to the floor. The second gun that he had concealed dropped from his hand and slid over the floor. Young and Randall were not happy and reacted purely out of instinct. They attempted to rush the aliens, fuelled by the thought that Beeks had been killed, but they quickly joined the man on the ground, unconscious.

Edward staggered back into the wall, his hand extended in a plea for mercy. He was wrong about them, they had just killed those men and now he was going to die too.

"It's all right! They're not dead!" The brown-haired woman rushed up to him and she held out her hands in a calming gesture. It took him a moment before he realised that she wasn't threatening him, attempting to eat his brains or whatever aliens tried to do. "They're only stunned."

"So… they're not dead?"

"No." The woman smiled and it was a beautiful smile. Edward finally relaxed a little. "They're not dead."

"So… you're not going to kill us all and eat our brains?"

"What? Good gracious no!"

"So… you're not aliens then?" Edward asked. They all shook their heads and then the man called Connor stepped forward.

"Actually, zombies do that. Eat your brains I mean. Aliens tend to use mind control and death rays."

"Connor!" both of the women chorused together, disapprovingly.

"What? I was just pointing it out! Basic sci-fi fact!"

"No… we're not aliens," the dark-haired replied, smiling that lovely smile again and ignoring Connor . "We're people, just like you."

Were they? Edward wasn't sure.

He was definitely not sure, when he saw the Irishman go suddenly pale. The man actually staggered and his thug grabbed on to him with extreme worry. But the Irishman pushed the other man away and continued to stare with horror behind Edward. His head began to shake from side to side in denial. It was then that the dark-haired woman rushed to his side and tried to gain his attention. None of his associates could pull him out of the trance so they all looked at what was scaring him.

"No. No, it can't be."

Edward turned slowly around. There was no ghost, or monster… no aliens, just his boss, Ackley and a large group of men walking towards them. Edward had been told they were agents of the government, that Ackley was the head of a department no one dared cross, even the PM himself.

Ackley, who had arranged for Edward to be a part of this guard assignment—why?-completely ignored the fact that his men were unconscious on the floor, he ignored everyone around him and walked straight up to the Irishman.

He was not livid as Edward expected him to be, in fact Ackley was smiling.

"Well, well, well! Matt Anderson! Look… at… you! You're all grown up!"

* * *

><p>Becker was not expecting the approaching old man to walk right up to Matt and call him by his first name.<p>

Matt was horrified and shocked that this person could be here. Becker thought Matt had seen a ghost and watched as he took several steps back, his eyes wide with fear.

"You're dead. You're supposed to be dead!" Matt shook his head again and briefly screwed his eyes shut, but Becker could tell him this was no hallucination or dream.

"I'm clearly not!" laughed the man holding his arms out. "I'm as dead as you are a scrawny little teenager! Matt, I'm impressed… you really are a man now aren't you?"

Matt couldn't reply. He was actually speechless.

Becker watched as the fear on his face quickly changed to anger. Genuine seething hatred showed in his eyes and Becker instinctively stayed close to him. He had seen Matt angry and pissed off, but this was completely different and it didn't take a genius to know who that anger was directed at.

The man was almost as tall as Becker, built like a solid brick house but wizened with a mass of grey hair and a silver goatee. An old scar ran diagonally across his face almost splitting it in two and there was something about those dark green eyes that gave Becker the chills. Not much scared him, but those eyes and what possibly lay behind them sent shivers down Becker's spine. The man may have been dressed in the clothes of the 1930s like they were, but he was certainly not from this time.

"You know, Matt, I hadn't expected you to come through the anomaly." The man gazed over Matt's shoulder at the rift and watched it as Becker's team on the other side locked it. "But it's a lovely surprise none the less. So you made it out of there, Matt, as I always knew you would! Did I not say that you had the potential for great things? That you wouldn't be condemned like the rest of your people to live in that hell? Oh… speaking of which, how is your father? He went with you I take it… Gideon never did like leaving his only son alone."

Matt didn't say anything. He had told Becker about his father's death and he had come to terms with it, but this man was bringing back some painful memories. Becker saw Matt jerk forward with his fist ready to punch the man right in his face, but Becker was quicker. He grabbed hold of Matt and pulled his arm back and down, keeping it pinned to his side.

"Matt! Don't!"

Matt struggled against him, he was raging and then Becker had to literally pin his arms behind his back.

"Matt! Stop this!"

He still wasn't listening.

"You dare mention my father!" Matt spat at the old man. "You fucking bastard!"

"Oh no! Gideon finally copped it then? That's such a shame."

The lack of any sentiment or sincerity in the sentence sent Matt over the top. It took all of Becker and Connor's strength to hold him back and even then they were struggling.

"If you're going to have a tantrum, Matthew… then I think we can take you away and put you somewhere where you can calm down." The man turned his back on them and indicated with a finger for his men to take them all away. "We can talk and discuss sending your people back later."

Becker had never seen Matt so furious. As they were all dragged apart, they struggled, tried to hit and fight back but it was useless as guns were trained their heads. Real ones.

"_Damn it, Lester, you should have let me bring a real gun!" _

"I'll kill you, Ackley!" Matt yelled, "I swear I'll fucking kill you!"

"Such language does not become you, Matthew. Once you've calmed down, I'm sure we can talk sensibly." The man Matt had called Ackley waved his hand. "Take them away, but don't put them with the others. Hold them somewhere nice, after all my Matthew and his friends deserve the best!"

Becker didn't exactly understand what Matt was yelling now, but even swearing in Gaelic was pretty obvious. Connor and Abby were dragged away after him and as two strong men began to haul Becker away by his arms, he saw Emily nearby resisting with all her might as two others tried to manhandle her.

"Oi! Leave her alone!" Becker yelled, but of course it was the wrong thing to do.

"Hold on!" Ackley held up his hands. "Take them away, but not these two."

The old man's fingers pointed at him and Emily and as he heard Connor and Abby loudly protesting as they were hauled out with Matt, Becker and Emily were shoved together. Ackley approached them, those crazy eyes scrutinizing every single part of them. Becker certainly didn't like the way he was staring at Emily.

Becker attempted to rip his arms free from their hold and punch the guy, but his reaction was already anticipated and Ackley's eerie attention settled on him instead of Emily. He circled Becker, grinning with great satisfaction.

"I thought it was you." Ackley said after a while of ogling him. "Without the beard, it was difficult to tell… but now I know. I know you… you are going to be a serious pain in my backside when it comes to my Matthew… aren't you?"

"You're a complete and utter nut job, do you realise that?" Becker replied.

Probably wasn't the best thing to say. Becker got a fierce punch to his face for that remark and he was thrown to the ground where he spat blood on the floor. Emily called out his name, and when Becker looked up, he saw red. Ackley had grabbed hold of Emily's face with a single hand and pushed her cheeks forcibly together.

"You two have no idea who I am," he said squeezing her face harder and harder. "Or what Matt Anderson really is. I know you, I know you both and whilst you may not have a clue now, everything will become clear later on and I promise, you'll have great fun finding out!"

Ackley leaned forward, his mouth inching closer to Emily's. She was shaking, she desperately tried to rip herself from his hold but it was no use. Becker felt helpless, all his attempts to break free only resulted in a punch to his stomach.

After a third blow, he couldn't get up.

Becker saw only a blur and the faint sound of Emily's angry screams as he was dragged by his legs across the platform.

Then everything went blank.

* * *

><p>At the very same moment the ARC team were taken away from the station, half way across the city, one of the most popular clubs was in full swing. Music was playing and those fortunate enough to still have money were dancing and laughing and having the times of their lives. They were completely oblivious to the happenings in the alley beside the club.<p>

No one saw the anomaly opening or heard it as the bins and rubbish in its vicinity were thrown about. No one heard the deep growling from within.

They certainly didn't see something emerge.


	7. Descent Into Madness

**The Descent Into Madness **

**1932**

They didn't know where they were being taken, but Abby and Connor remained silent as they were transported away from King's Cross. The world of 1932 outside the truck did little to stir excitement in either of them.

They'd all known that someone would be guarding the anomaly, which was why Becker went through first. It could have gone a lot better than it did, if the young lad had been able to help them, yet none of them reckoned on Matt knowing the man called Ackley and there being such bad blood between them.

Abby watched Matt muttering to himself, running hands through his hair in frustration and tearing some strands out as he cursed some more in his Irish tongue. He was angry and sad and it hurt Abby to see him like that. To her, Matt was a strong and confident man, he was a leader who reminded her very much of Cutter. She often thought if Cutter was alive the two of them would have got on well- but now, Matt was anything but the leader they knew. He was shaken up.

Ever since his earlier outburst in the car, Abby had been worried about him. His behaviour had seemed odd at first, but it was only after Becker had had words with him did Matt regain control and become more like himself. It pained Abby to see her friend like this and if there was any hope in getting themselves, the passengers and the train back to 2011, then Matt had to be at his best.

"Who was that man?" she asked. Abby didn't flinch at the sudden glare she got from Matt, but inside, she felt her heart almost stop at the sight of his paleness and red eyes. For a brief second, it seemed he hated her for asking that question, but he knew Abby too well.

"He's a man responsible for millions of deaths."

"Like… like Philip and I could have been?" Connor nervously said. Matt shook his head.

"No. Philip was misguided, Helen saw to that… but with Ackley, once he knew the dangers and what happened because of him, he just carried on. I saw what little remorse he had over his actions. Nathan Ackley is a monster. I was told he was dead! People I trusted and knew had told me he was gone."

"But they were wrong." Abby stated solemnly.

"Clearly!" Matt rubbed anxiously at his face. "Abby… Connor, this is far more serious than anything we've come across."

"What has he done, Matt?" asked Connor.

Matt looked at Connor and the younger man saw the fear behind his eyes. Abby saw him hold his breath and felt his hand clasp on to hers.

Matt wasn't telling. Abby saw him lift up his wrist and activate the hologram on his watch. The all too familiar vision of future London appeared in the middle of nowhere and in that desolate hell-hole, Abby made out two very familiar shapes scrambling over some of the debris.

"Predators," she gasped.

"No one knew where they came from," Matt said, struggling to speak as his eyes fixated on the hologram. "We only knew that they existed. Some said they evolved in the future, beyond my time, whilst others said they were engineered. All we knew was that they were everywhere, just like the Burrowers and the bug swarms. It was like a plague. No one knew anything until my father and I moved to London because of his research into the anomalies. I was taken along to be another recruit for the so called army, a soldier to protect the others… I was fifteen.

"When I was sixteen, my dad was the one who found the place. It was also the time I saw my first anomaly. We went through and what we found was an era unlike any other. All there was… as far as the eye could see, were anomalies. It was a never-ending sea of them, they were everywhere. My father and a few others took it upon themselves to study them. Teams or rather what men we could spare, were sent back to various times to see where they went and it was by pure luck that we found him."

"Ackley."

"Right. We found Ackley in our past and he was operating experiments. He said he had been trying to find a way for people to survive on the surface, a way for us to be able to breathe the air and not choke or suffer from the poison. It sounded great, but it soon became clear what he was doing. He was making the predators, creating a new life form to try to withstand the toxic air. He had no idea just how screwed he was."

"What…what did you do?" asked Connor.

"We did what we could. We told Ackley what his experiments would do, we even took him to our time to show him his creations. My father thought—we all thought—that we had succeeded in getting through to him because Ackley agreed to destroy his research. He seemed genuinely appalled at what he had done at the time, but nothing changed. In fact it got worse, and no matter what the others tried to do, those things remained. Always. Then we discovered that Ackley hadn't given up on his work, and soon it was pretty clear he wasn't all there in the head. He is mentally unstable. So when he killed a group of my friends… when he did what he did to my…" Matt shook his head. "He should be dead. He deserves to be dead for what he did."

His voice trailed off and that was all Abby could get from him. So Ackley was the man who had made the predators and whilst that was criminal enough, Abby suspected that there was much more to Ackley's crimes than Matt was letting on. There was something far more personal involved, because Matt wasn't the kind of man to want people dead.

"So… what are _we_ going to do?" asked Connor.

There was only one thing they could do and that was to continue this mission. Abby had no idea how many people were stranded here, but for her… they were the priority. They had to get them home.

"We will get them back through, Abby."

She was startled when Matt looked back round to her. It was if he had read her mind, or he was the man she always thought he was. Matt has some serious issues with this Ackley man, but he wasn't going to sacrifice innocent people because of it.

"We'll get them back and then… I'll deal with Ackley."

She didn't like the sound of Matt's voice when he said that, nor did she like the cold, hard look in his eyes.

The truck halted and Abby looked out of the window to see they had stopped in front of a white house that reminded her of a posh hotel. It looked nice, pristine and upper-class, especially with the white marble pillars standing either side of the front door.

The two men standing in front of those pillars made the place a little less homely, for which Abby was glad for because she wasn't going to forget that they were prisoners. Not with 'guards' standing there. The three of them were dragged from the transport and ushered up the path to the house.

As they were forced to accept the best luxury the 1930's could offer; comfortable rooms with large beds and a hot dinner served only half an hour later, Abby couldn't shake off the feeling that Matt would do something crazy.

* * *

><p><em>"Becker…"<em>

_He managed to lift his hand and wave the annoying sound of Matt's voice away. Or he thought the gesture would do that. Instead, Becker got a kick in the side. _

"You bastard…I'm awake! You don't need to kick me!"

_Becker turned over onto his back and rubbed at his eyes so he could see Matt more clearly. The man hadn't got up himself, so why was he insisting they get up so damned early? He was lying at the bottom of the bed with the sheets barely covering his nudity, surely Matt could just stop whining for a few seconds and get some sleep?_

_Becker lazily thumped his arm on the bed space next to him and smiled. _

"Come on, we've got hours yet before we have to get up. Sleep!"

_"I'm not tired." Matt climbed up onto his knees and gave Becker a glimpse of his glorious entirety. Becker grinned and rolled onto his back to get a better view. Surely no one looked this good in the morning with ruffled hair and hard on. _

"You damned well should be tired after what we just did."

_"We stopped New Dawn. We saved the world, Becker. It's no easy thing."_

"I meant the sex."

_"You're so full of yourself aren't you?" _

"Can I point out to you, future boy… that you nearly blacked out, twice!"

_He laughed. Becker loved to hear him laugh, for Matt very rarely did it._

_"Don't call me that. It pisses me off," Matt replied with a smirk. _

_Which was the reason Becker called him it. _

"How are you going to stop me?"

_Another scrap was indeed tempting for both of them. Their last one had left new marks on Matt's body, and from the pain Becker was feeling, he gathered he had a few of his own. He recalled how he made each and every one of Matt's marks and when Matt settled down next to him, Becker wasn't feeling tired any more. He rolled over until he was up against Matt, touching his still hot wet skin. He trailed his hand up Matt's legs and across his groin to feel and squeeze his dick. _

_The immediate response was a combination of a laugh and a moan, a sound that made Becker press his mouth against Matt's throat to feel it. He encouraged Matt to do it again with a bite and another squeeze and the tight-fisted grip in Becker's hair, turned him on something chronic. He badly wanted to flip Matt over and take him right here, but that was against the rules. He hadn't earned the right to do that yet. So instead he just kicked him back. _

_"Why did you do that?" _

"You did it to me."

_"Becker…we can't stay here. We have to leave." _

"Damn it! if you're going to kick me, at least do it like you mean it!" _Becker released his hold on Matt and spread his arms across the bed, beckoning him to do it. _"Why the hell do you want to leave any way? Make up your bloody mind!"

_"It's dangerous, here." _

"It's always dangerous when we're like this! So stop complaining and lets… fuck!" Becker grinned fiendishly.

_"I don't know you well enough to do that." _

"What are you talking about? We've done it more than once, you daft pillock!"

_"Becker, you're such a charmer, but you have to wake up… please." _

Something heavy impacted hard with his stomach. Becker recoiled from the pain and gasped, spitting and coughing with every attempt to breathe and then he felt an even harder jolt to his back.

Matt was screaming. No… not him…. Emily.

Becker managed to open his eyes. He wasn't in his bed, next to the man he… had feelings for. Instead he was in the back of a military transport and Emily was by his side. She was red in face, screaming obscenities at a man who was standing above them both. One of Ackley's men.

"Leave him alone!"

Becker saw that she had been hit, a bruise now shone on her left cheekbone.

The man didn't listen to her. He kicked Becker again and the force of the boot into his stomach coupled with a sudden sharp turn made by their transport caused Becker to slide on the floor and crash into the side. He thought he saw and tasted blood.

Then to Becker's horror, he saw the man grab Emily by her hair and he wrenched her off her knees and jerked her to the other side of the vehicle. She screamed again, but it wasn't a helpless terrified one. Through the dizzying pain, as he tried to regain his strength to move, Becker saw the anger on Emily's face, he saw her fingers claw and grab onto the man's arm. This woman knew how to act with men who treated her like this.

He'd seen how she stood up to that husband of hers. She was no pushover.

"Let go of me!" she seethed.

"Shut your mouth, bitch!"

"Don't you ever call me that!"

Becker managed to get onto his knees just as Emily scrambled to her feet and swung her fist directly at the man's jaw. The man stopped it and started to laugh, but he received a knee in the testicles and it was him who fell to the ground in agony. When the man was down, he received another kick from a stiletto shoe to his face and he passed out.

"Becker…" Emily turned to him and helped Becker to stand more steadily on his feet. With the vehicle still moving, it wasn't easy, especially as he felt blood trickling down his face and the dizziness throbbing in his head. "Are you all right?"

"I think so."

"Good. We have to get to the others as soon as possible."

"Where's Matt?" Becker had to blink for a moment and catch his breath, before holding onto the side of the vehicle. "Where is he?"

"Not where you thought he was." Emily slyly smiled. Becker turned away from her, to hide his obvious embarrassment, because he realised that everything he thought he had said to Matt, he had been muttering it to Emily. "Becker… what I said before about you and Matt… there's nothing for you to feel bad about. I don't want you to feel as if you should…"

"But I do feel bad. Emily, this is not something that I'm comfortable discussing at the moment. Can we talk about this later?"

Emily nodded and kicked the man at her feet as he groggily tried to get back up. Becker and Emily both hung on together as the transport continued speeding to their destination. Where, Becker didn't know, but right now Matt, Connor and Abby needed them.

"Ackley wanted us dead," Emily said. "I heard him order it after you became unconscious. The idiot behind the wheel is taking us somewhere, hoping to dump our bodies, I shouldn't wonder. He's going to have a bit of a surprise when he stops and finds us alive."

In fact the driver had a surprise right there and then. The truck suddenly veered to the right, causing Becker and Emily to stagger and fall. They were tossed around as the truck continued to swerve drastically and the sound of a scream was followed by the squeal of brakes. Becker felt his back impact with the cabin of the truck and then there was an all too familiar sound.

Something landed on the top of the vehicle, denting the roof. A scrape of claws scratched on the metal top and there was a loud snort before the chilling call of a raptor.

"Shit! I don't have a gun. I don't even have my EMD!" he whispered. A second later a revolver was slapped into his hand. "Excellent! Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Becker checked that it was loaded and thankfully it had the full complement of bullets. However, he wasn't sure exactly how he was going to shoot this raptor. The safest option at the moment was to stay still, hope that the raptor wouldn't detect them. It was a little bit late for the driver as he heard the sound of breaking glass, more screams and sounds of tearing flesh and breaking bone. Becker also heard the splatter of blood hitting the truck.

Becker adopted a crouching position and with the gun nestled in one hand, he listened. The raptor called out, its voice making every part of Becker's body chill, and then the creature began to clomp over the roof towards the back. Becker held out a hand and without looking away from the exit, he found Emily and kept a sturdy hold on her shoulder.

They remained silent as the raptor screamed again, calling out but getting no reply. Even to Becker it was clear that the creature was missing its pack, the sadness and confusion clear in its screeching tones. It got closer, then Becker saw its claws peeking over the edge of the roof, followed by a head and neck as it leaned over.

It spotted them instantly and let out an angry howl, before jumping down into the back of the truck. It all happened in seconds, the raptor took only a few short strides and was suddenly upon them. At that same instant, Becker squeezed the trigger of the gun.

* * *

><p>Hearing the knock at the door, Matt sat up from the bed and hoped that Connor or Abby would walk in. It had been two hours since they were taken from the station and the other two were given a room separate from his, so he hadn't seen them for a while. But this time, it wasn't either of his friends who came through the door.<p>

It was one person he didn't want to see. His stomach churned with disgust, the pounding headache he had felt earlier was coming back ten times stronger and he slid back up the bed to the corner of the room, glaring with still red aching eyes at the man as he sat down next to him. With his knees propped up, Matt leant his arms on them and rested his face into the palms of his hands. Inside his skull it felt like a dozen pins were jabbing into his brain. He didn't want this right now.

He never wanted this.

"Go away," he moaned into his hands. "Go away before I kill you."

"You can't kill me, Matt."

"Yes! I can!" Matt yelled and his head jerked up to face his tormentor. "God knows I I can."

"There is no God, Matt. You've lived in hell for most of your life so you know that's true… we both do. Killing me is an impossibility, but you know who you have really kill, don't you? I could help."

"I don't want your help! I don't need anyone's help!"

Matt wanted to kick the guy away, he wanted to get as far away from him as possible but there was no room, and what little there was of it, felt as if it was getting smaller.

"What about the military man? Becker? Don't you want the man you love to help you?"

"Love? I-!"

"Sorry! Not love… have manly feelings for. Matt… as an enlightened 22nd century guy, you really don't want to admit to loving another man, especially when it's true? Why is that?"

"Fuck off."

"So you don't want him, or Emily to help?"

"I…" Matt was suddenly lost for words. He glared at the git sitting on the end of the bed and shook his head. He raked his nails through the short crop of his hair and tried to make sense of what was going on. "I don't need their help…. because…."

"Because?"

"You're not here. You can't be here."

"But I am, Matt. I am here because of you. Not sure how you're going to get rid of me because murder is not an option. My death won't change a thing and it won't bring back father."

_Father? __**My**__ father! _

Matt leapt up from the bed and grabbed hold of the guy's neck. He could quite easily snap it, but instead he began to squeeze and choke the life out of him.

He didn't notice Connor and Abby standing in the doorway. He didn't even know that he was strangling thin air.


	8. Plan Ahead

_Author's note: Here's to those reading and enjoying this story! Especially for Asheryve...feel better soon. Thanks for your lovely comments. _

* * *

><p><strong>Past, Present and Future<strong>

**2011 INTERMISSION**

They expected her to be here. Jess had finished her shift and didn't feel like going home. Instead she went to the anomaly site and sat by herself watching the small silver globe spin slowly round in the air. Becker's men didn't speak to her, they didn't try to comfort her and she was grateful for that. She didn't need sympathy right now, she wanted him to come back.

So when the time came for Greaves to unlock the anomaly, Jess watched with huge anticipation, but when no train came through, when Becker and the others didn't come back within the allotted time, Jess was hugely disappointed. She tried not to show it as Greaves locked the anomaly, but it was difficult to hide the emotions swelling up inside of her.

She wished she could have gone through, not just to see the past, but because she would be with her friends, her teammates to give them technical support… but being here, Jess felt so useless. It would be another two hours before Greaves would open the anomaly again, to give them the chance of getting back, so all Jess could do was wait some more.

"Sir! I was not expecting you to be here!"

"Oh really?" Lester gasped and mimicked Greave's startled look but then became deadpan. "Who were you expecting? The Spanish Inquisition?"

Jess turned round in her chair and saw Lester hobbling towards her. She should have heard the sound of his cane tapping on the platform but Jess knew her focus on Becker and the others had blocked everything out. She rose to her feet and went over to Lester, for his slow painful steps would have taken him a lot longer to approach.

"Sir?"

"I know what you're doing here, Parker," he said gruffly shaking her away as Jess tried to help support him. "This won't do you any good."

"I'm not doing this for me."

"No, I can see that." Lester leaned forward on his cane and again, for the second time this day, she saw the look of compassion on his face. Lester didn't show this side of him to just anyone. "Jess, they will be fine. I know it."

"You do?"

"I'm certain. So let's not mope about waiting for them to come back. Greaves will inform us if they do." Greaves waved and beamed a smile at Jess but it just made Lester tut and roll his eyes. "Jess…" Lester's voice trailed off for a moment and he looked deadly serious and worried.

"What the matter? Is everything all right?"

"No. I came here because I've just received a call. I would handle the situation myself but I thought it might be better coming from you. If you want to do this…"

Now Jess began to worry. What was it she could do that he could not?

"The Minister has given me the reports of casualties and accidents occurred during Convergence. It was mostly generalised but… a name popped up. Jess… it appears Carys Becker was involved in a car accident."

"Becker's sister?" Jess gasped. "She's…? Is she all right?"

"She's not looking good… she's…" Lester clearly saw Jess' distress and gently rested his hand on her shoulder. "She's in a critical condition and the family are asking for her brother. With Becker back in 1932… would you mind going to…?"

Jess didn't hesitate to answer.

"Yes. I'll go."

Jess had never met any of Becker's family. He had told her about them, she had seen photos, but that was about it. He was very close to them, but his work at the ARC kept him busy. For Becker, she would go and give them the ARC's support, and it wouldn't be an easy job.

"Will you…?"

"I'll keep you apprised of the situation here and call you the second they get back."

Jess knew that he would.

Despite that he had chastised her for remaining here, saying that such vigil wasn't good for her or any help to the others in the past, Lester sat down in the chair Jess had been occupying. She couldn't help but smile slightly at that.

"You waiting here won't do you any good." Jess said. "Especially with your injuries."

"I shall be fine."

As a foot stool and some cushions were carried past by some staff, Jess's smile widened.

"You'll be fine because officially and unofficially, you're not actually here."

"Good girl!" Lester propped his feet up on the footstool and allowed his PA to adjust the cushions in his chair. "You do catch on quick!"

Jess watched as he began to work, using his mobile phone and making his PA run around complying with his orders. Jess took one last look at the anomaly and uttered a prayer for Becker and her friends, before heading out of the station.

**END OF INTERMISSION**

* * *

><p><strong>1932<strong>

It was Connor's outcry that caused Ackley's men to burst in the room and rip him and Abby away from Matt. Even when he was thrown down to the floor in the corridor, Connor didn't stop yelling for his friend.

When they had first opened the door, Connor and Abby were startled and shocked to see Matt acting like that. He was pretending to strangle someone who wasn't actually there and, in Connor's opinion, he looked really messed up. Matt had seriously lost it, he wasn't responding to any of their calls and when they tried to help, he had pushed them away. Now, three of Ackley's grunts were restraining every part of him except for his own angry bellows.

"Get off him!" Abby yelled, her voice distraught as she tried to plead and order the men to stop. "He doesn't know what he's doing!"

"Matt! Mate! It's all right!" Connor knew that it wasn't but anything that could calm the feverish man might help. Two men blocked their path to the room and they shoved Connor and Abby back with every attempt they made to get to their friend. "Matt! MATT!"

Eventually Matt's screams were silenced as they gagged him and Connor watched with seething resentment and horror as they tied him to the bed. In pure rage, Connor tried to rush and push his way past, but he only got an elbow in the face and he fell flat on his arse. It didn't stop him from getting back up again and when a backhand from a tall auburn haired git smacked Abby in the face, Connor lashed out with a punch of his own. He felt the pain in his fist first and then in his jaw as the man retaliated.

"ENOUGH!"

The booming voice silenced everyone and Connor looked up from the floor to see Ackley standing at the end of the corridor.

"I told you to bring me these two, not cause a ruckus! If you people cannot follow my orders I _will _replace you!"

Connor gathered that the term 'replace' was not just a simple matter of sending the men away and getting others to stand in their stead. He saw the men's fear, in fact he could feel it as they backed up against the walls to let their boss through. He saw their skin pale and their feet shift nervously as he walked past. They couldn't even look the man in the eye for Ackley meant for their lives to be replaced.

Cautiously, Connor got up on his feet and helped Abby in the process.

"Are you okay?" he asked, cupping her face and lightly brushing his thumb over the cut on her lip.

She winced a little and licked at the blood before offering him a weak but appreciative smile.

"I'm fine. I've had worse." Connor felt her grip around his arm squeeze, quite tightly. She then looked away from Connor and directed an icy stare at Ackley. "What do you want from us?"

"What do I want from you two?" Ackley gave them the briefest of looks and turned away, walking into the room where Matt was still struggling and screaming through his gag. "I want you for something important, but Matt? Matt is different. He's special."

"He's in no condition to help anyone!" snapped Connor. "Can't you see he's not well? You've got to let us take him back to our time!"

"Now why would I do that?" Ackley chuckled and shook his head. "No… Matt is exactly where I want him."

"What?" Abby yelled. "How can he be of any use to you as he is?"

Ackley didn't say a word. Connor saw him approach Matt and kneel down next to him. Such close proximity was only making Matt react more. Connor felt awful for him, he was now struggling so hard against his restraints that they were cutting into his skin. His eyes were wide and screaming with more intensity than his muffled voice could do and Connor could see the anger and rage in those eyes as well as his desperation.

"Matthew… you have no idea how happy I am that it was you who came and found me." Ackley reached out a hand and stroked it over Matt's face. "You were the best out of all of them and now you're here to help me. It won't be easy, but I have the upmost confidence in you."

Connor didn't see what Ackley did, but Matt's jerking body stilled and his gagged vocalising became silent.

"Matt!" Abby never got a reply to her call. Ackley rose from the floor and Connor saw Matt's unconscious body on the bed. "Matt!"

"He's just sedated." Ackley grinned and turned to address the two of them. "I have decided that I'm going to be fair in this matter, extremely fair and it's not often I'm like this, so I would listen carefully. I am going to send one of you two back with the passengers and the train. The other will stay and assist me with your friend."

"And?" Connor asked.

"There is no and. That's it. Accept it or you… your lovely young lady here and those people from the train will end up dead, just like Captain Becker and his woman. So make a choice."

Dead? Becker and Emily were dead? Connor couldn't breathe. He felt a knot in his stomach and a hard lump in his throat. He vaguely registered Abby's hands clinging to him, her head resting against his chest and the choking sounds from her mouth… he felt suddenly numb.

"I'll stay."

"No!" Connor shook his head and grabbed Abby into a tight and crushing hug. "No! Abby… I'll stay! If you go back with the others I'd feel better knowing you're safe."

As always, Abby was her usual stubborn self. She pushed him away and adopted her very real bad ass attitude.

"I'm staying," she stated firmly to Ackley, with her arms crossed over her chest. "Take Connor and the others back to the anomaly and I'll be here to help you with Matt."

"Abby!"

"I mean it, Connor! You have to take those people back, it's all that matters!"

Connor didn't like that. Their friend mattered, Abby mattered. He wasn't going to go through the anomaly and allow his friends andthe woman he loved, to stay here and die.

_Becker… .Emily._ Ackley had said they were dead and thinking about that made Connor's chest tighten with anguish. He held back the overwhelming tears that threatened to fall from his eyes and clenched his jaw together.

"I'm not going to leave you," he said, the determination in his voice unwavering. Abby smiled at such a gesture, and he knew that she thought it only as one. But one she wasn't going to accept it.

"This is adorable." Ackley forced a weak, eerie smile. "Two kids in love refuse to leave the other. It's very touching… but I really don't care. The boy stays, the girl goes back. Take her away."

"No! Connor!"

Connor couldn't do anything, his arms were held behind his back, nearly wrenched out of their sockets as two men dragged Abby away. He got a clout on the back of his head for yelling her name and Connor finally slouched into the man's grip and a couple of tears fell down his cheek.

At least she would be going back to 2011. He hoped she would.

Everything was a blur around him. He couldn't feel anything except a painful numbness over his entire body. Connor felt so ridiculous now, before he'd thought the 1930's was somewhere exciting and that this would be an adventure just like Captain Kirk's. Now… two of his friends were dead… Matt had gone crazy, incensed by what this man had done to him in the past, or rather the future and Abby….

"Abby…" Connor blinked back some more tears and reality came back to him. He was back in his room and Ackley was slouching against the doorframe, mocking him with a cold empty smile. After a few deep breaths, Connor felt a little bit better for knowing that Abby was going back to the safety of the 21st century. "How do I know you'll keep your word and that's she safe?"

"You don't."

Connor bit his bottom lip in frustration.

"And what happens to me and Matt?"

Ackley grinned and rubbed his hands together.

"You'll have to wait and see! It's a pity your two other friends aren't around to witness this tremendous moment! It's going to be fun!"

It was anything but fun to Connor as he slumped down on the edge of the bed and buried his face in his hands.

* * *

><p>He let off three or four shots. The jaws were inches from Becker's face when raptor blood and brains splattered over him and Emily. Becker stood panting against the side of the truck, his hand slightly shaking and he could feel his heart pounding furiously against his chest.<p>

That had been extremely close and now he was covered in raptor blood. It stank. He stank.

"I think I'm going to be sick," he uttered with contempt as he swiped a less bloodied hand over his face. His stomach retched a couple of times as with each breath the stench of blood filled his nostrils. Emily wasn't faring better.

She was looking at the mess covering her shaking hands, eyes widened with disgust rather than horror and her skin looked paler than usual beneath the blood spatter over her face. Her dress was ruined and as the seconds went by, it seemed she was more angry than scared.

"Emily?" Becker held down a particularly sickening taste of bile in his throat and gently touched a bloody hand to her shoulder. She didn't respond, nor did she look away from the Raptor's body. He brushed her hair back and gently shook her shoulder again. "Emily? Are you all right?"

Still she would not look away, but her brow furrowed with more anger and hatred at the body and her hands. Becker then took it upon himself to step in front of her, blocking her view of the raptor. He tried to wipe her face clean by cupping her face with one hand and stroking lightly with the other. It didn't make much difference, but with his touch he felt her shaking calm.

"Emily. You're okay… can you hear me?"

Her eyes finally blinked as she looked straight back at Becker. She clung hard onto his arms and Becker recognised her attempts to control her gagging at the stench.

"I'm covered in raptor."

"But you're still alive."

Emily nodded and wrapped her arms around Becker's body, giving him a crushing and relieving hug. Just as quickly as she hugged him, Emily pushed him away, turned round and emptied her stomach in the far corner of the truck.

Becker chuckled, but the action only made him vomit as well.

"I have to get out of here." He barely registered what Emily said as she scrambled as best she could over the body and out the back. Though when he had finished and he could retch up no more, Becker followed her into the fresh air of the city.

Or what there was of it.

Becker blinked a few more times and saw that they weren't in the best part of London. He didn't see any streets signs or familiar buildings, but it was squalid, dark, smelly and not much of a change from the back of the truck.

He thought on the raptor. It was not a fully grown adult and it had come through another anomaly, so that meant another problem added to their long list of problems. An incursion from the past into 1932 was the last thing they needed, but it couldn't be ignored. He also needed a shower.

"Becker…" Emily was turning slowly in a circle, trying to recognise where they were. "What… what do we do now?"

"We get out of here and locate this second anomaly," he croaked, spitting in a worthless attempt to get the horrible taste out of his mouth. "We can't have any further incursions on this time. I don't think most of the people here really have any clue on how to cope with raptors."

"I wouldn't worry about that."

Becker cursed himself for letting his guard down. He turned at the sound, bringing up the gun and aiming it straight at the man standing by the head of the truck. Even when he cottoned on to who it was, Becker didn't lower the gun.

"What are you doing here?" Emily asked the question before he could.

"I followed you and then… then I saw the… the dinosaur. At least I think it's…." the young man's voice trailed off into nothing as he took in Becker and Emily's appearance. The kid was frightened, and Becker certainly didn't like the way the gun was shaking in his hand.

Becker edged forward and managed to slip the weapon from the other man's hand, he gave it to Emily and then shoved the boy up against the side of the truck, aiming the barrel of his revolver squarely at his head. The youth screamed and began shaking harder than a plate of jelly.

"What are you doing here?" Becker demanded. "Are you here to make sure we're dead?"

"No!" gasped Edward. "I don't want you dead! I never wanted you dead! I'm new to all of this! I've been on this blasted job less than a week and I'm suddenly pulled away from my assignment to be on Ackley's team. The man is… he frightens me! He's sick as hell! I've heard stories as to what he and his men get up to and I didn't go to work for my government to be associated with things like that! Right now your friend… the Irish guy?"

"Matt! What about him?" Becker felt an anger surge within him and so he pressed the end of the gun just a little harder against the man's skin. "Tell me! What has Ackley done with him?"

"Nothing! Yet! But he's not looking well. Something is seriously wrong with him and I had to do something! " Edward held up his hands. "Please, let me help you find him!"

"You would really help us?" asked Emily. Edward nodded. "But you don't know who we are!"

"I may not know you… but I trust you a lot more than Ackley."

Edward's responses weren't completely to Becker's satisfaction, he didn't trust this guy despite his good intentions but it was enough for him to lower the gun and let him stand up. The 21 year old jumped away from the truck, and then signalled for Becker and Emily to follow him. Cautiously they did follow, and after a few minutes came to a parked Austin Ten-Four a little further down the street.

"We need to find the other anomaly." Becker gruffly stated, even though he was desperate to find Matt. He climbed into the front passenger seat whilst Edward began to start the car.

"What's that? The portal you came through?"

"Yes."

"It's all right. It's been taken care of." Edward dug into the pocket of his coat and brought out what looked to be a very sophisticated looking walkie-talkie. It was not 1930's technology. Edward held it out and instantly Becker heard a conversation going on, a conversation regarding the anomaly.

"_Nothing else will get through. We've got men on it."_

"_Keep in contact. When you've cleared the mess and spun a little story for the public, come back to base. Be quick! We don't want any more surprises." _

If anything had happened to Matt, then they were going to get an extremely nasty surprise. Becker was going to make sure of it.

He closed his eyes and clasped the gun with both his hands. This mission was a failure and it only proved yet again that going through the anomalies was dangerous. There had to be stricter rules. After Convergence, the ARC teams had to be more vigilant in keeping the public out as well, so no one had to go back.

Matt. The boy had said something was wrong with him. Matt knew he wasn't 100% fit for this mission, but had insisted he come along. Becker had let him and now they were both paying the price for Becker's mistake.

The car's engine spluttered into life and a few seconds later the car drove off at speed, or rather the top speed that it could manage.

"We need to be prepared." said Edward once they came to streets more vaguely familiar. "Ackley has several facilities, any of which he could be at right now and all are heavily guarded."

"So?" Becker scoffed. "Just take us to where they're holding Matt and I'll get him out."

"Becker, you can't." said Emily from the backseat. "How does Edward know where Matt is being held? Besides, you would never allow the others on your team to undertake such a thing without planning! May I also point out that we're covered in raptor? Surely we can change first?"

"We can get what we need, but do we really need to risk Matt's life just because of a desire to bathe?" Becker turned round in his seat and gave Emily the most disapproving look he could. She claimed to love the man, yet she was willing to waste time having a wash before going to his aid?

"Don't you dare look at me like that!" Emily jabbed a finger at him. "You know I'm right! Becker… if we're to get to Matt and see him safe, we have to do this properly. "

"Fine! We can get what we need, but nothing else. I won't risk my…" Becker stumbled on the word, lost as he tried to think what Matt really was to him. "I won't risk my best friend's life just because I have raptor in my hair."

Best friend? Emily's slight grin at that comment only frustrated him more. Seeing his frustration, Emily sat forward on the edge of her seat and rubbed a hand against his arm.

"Connor and Abby are with him." She said, "They won't let anything happen to him. I know what Matt means to you but we can do this, we can and will get him back. Running headlong into this without thinking will end up getting Matt hurt or killed. Think about it, please… Hilary. "

She had never used his first name before. Becker didn't think that she knew it. No one except his family used his first name. Hearing it from her seemed to have an effect and it wasn't one he was expecting. Instead of threatening her or angrily lashing back at her for speaking it, Becker found himself gently bobbing his head with affirmation.

Emily made sense, now that he calmed down and thought about it. He did need and want a shower, but more than anything he wanted to get this mission over and done with and take Matt home. Becker relaxed a little and gave her a curt little nod. He turned to Edward.

"Take us to your place then."

"It's not that far." Edward replied, tooting hard on the horn when another car wouldn't get out of his way.

"Just get us there and be quick about it."

"You…. you could say please." Edward stammered, worried that his reply might anger Becker more. It wasn't his fault, he was new to all of this.

"Sorry." Becker had to give the guy some slack, after all he had just had a gun pressed against his head. "Thank you for helping, we really appreciate it."

"It's no problem… really."

"I'm Becker… this is Emily."

The young man smiled.

"You're military, aren't you?"

Becker nodded. "Captain."

"I should have known. Also… you're not aliens, you're from the future aren't you?"

Becker and Emily said nothing, but Edward nodded and grinned at their lack of confirmation or denial. At least he wasn't thinking they were aliens.

"By the way… I'm Edward Lester."

tbc


	9. Talking To Yourself

_Author's note: The next installment is here. The next may take a while, I'm still writing it. So, this one is a reason why this story is rated M. Again FredB done the beta, but mistakes are all mine. I do not own any of the characters except for Ackley, Greaves and Edward. Though it would be glorious to have own Becker and Matt. *sighs*_

_Enjoy anyhows. _

* * *

><p><strong>Past, Present and Future. <strong>

**2006**

He couldn't say anything. Even if he could, how would he explain it? How could he tell Cutter that the anomalies were already known to him and that he had requested a bodyguard, who also had to pretend he didn't know about these rifts into the past?

The group of civilians were now sitting round a table and they did not like being kept here, or kept in the dark about what was going on.

"So is Cutter the one then?"

Lester stood staring through the glass window at the misfit group. Lester shook his head.

"But those two…" he pointed with a finger to the two youngest. "The blonde and the computer nerd are." Lester heaved a frustrated sigh. "Look, go along with them, do what you do best. Let them think that ARC is something new and don't let anything happen to Maitland and Temple, it's imperative that they're kept safe."

"It's my primary mission, I take it?"

"Of course."

"What about Cutter and the tall dark and brooding?" The man nodded to the other two men sitting around the table.

"Their safety is in your hands of course. I expect you do your best for all of them, but Cutter and Hart are not paramount."

"Acknowledged."

It was now his job to keep them all safe, until the other captain came along.

Lester had waited a long time for this.

**1932**

_The restaurant was on the posh side, all the men were in tuxes and the women were dolled up to the nines in elaborate low-backed dresses with wraps of fur around their bare shoulders and hats with so many flourishes of feathers that made the place feel like a Royal Ascot meeting. Music was playing, a man was singing up on the stage and everyone was having an absolute ball. _

_The last course had finished hours ago, so now the two were sipping on brandies and smoking cigars. Everyone else was smoking as well and the air was thick with it along with the high spirits, laughter and music. _

_The women were watching them. Smouldering eyes with obvious intentions glanced at them. Lustful smiles and little waves of fingers were done for them as the women showed off their desires along with glimpses of bare leg and cleavage. _

_But that all stopped when the woman in green sat between the men. Every other woman in the restaurant had their hopes dashed when they saw the men's clear attraction for her, but then disapproval and disgust took over as the woman in green led them on. _

_Lady Emily Merchant allowed the two of them to huddle closely and she allowed their hands to touch her bare silky shoulders, stroke against her hips and caress her face. She loved the attention and the feeling they gave her. Even in their dark secluded corner people could still see this bizarreness, but if they stopped judging and hiding their jealousy, they might have seen more._

_They might have seen the gentle grazes and strokes turn to tough clawing and tugs, they might have seen the soft light kisses turn to hungry bites on and around her neck; if they had looked closer, they would have seen that it was not all about her. _

_Matt couldn't help it. What they were doing was taboo enough, but the brandy was clouding his judgement. His inhibitions were lowered and everything he wanted to do, right here and right now was damned near tempting. He could see the same desire in Becker's eyes. He was getting riled up and in response to Becker's light brush against his side, Matt dug his nails into Emily's leg so sharply he got shoved away. _

_"Bloody men! Get out of here, the pair of you!" Emily pushed Matt and Becker away from her and reached for her drink. "You're obviously so pent up you can't control yourselves. Go before you both end up wrecking this entire establishment, and I know you will if we carry on." _

_Matt wasn't going to ask if she meant it, because she wouldn't have said it otherwise. He grinned and leaned forward to plant a firm and sensual 'thank you' kiss on her lips. It seemed she could barely control herself as she pulled him harder into the kiss. Her moan in his mouth and the intensity of her tug on his shirt almost made Matt collapse on top of her, and he knew that if he did, public indecency or not, he would have taken her right there. Emily's smile and the soft pat of her palm against his cheek, along with the nudge of her knee against his groin, convinced him otherwise. _

_"Go. I'm not what you need." _

_"She's far too good for us," Becker said, taking hold of Emily's chin to make her face him. She nodded and accepted an equally sensual kiss from him. _

_Matt shook the brandy haze temporarily from his mind and looked to Becker as he rose to his feet and loosened his bow tie with a couple of hard tugs. Becker grinned at both of them, planted the still-smoking cigar between his teeth and turned to face the rest of the crowded restaurant. _

_Becker stood at the top of the stairs over looking the dance floor and other tables and dug one hand into his pockets whilst he flicked at the lid of his Zippo lighter with the other. His foot tapped in time with the music and Matt noticed all the eyes of the customers and waitresses turning to him. _

_"Do what you two must, but don't you dare leave me to pick up the bill!" Emily warned them with a smile. She then took a sip of her own brandy. Matt got up next to Becker and slapped him heartily on the back. _

_"Would we EVER do that to you?" Becker feigned innocence as he looped his black tie around his hand. _

_Emily nodded. "And you know what will happen if you do."_

_Matt laughed, they knew very well what would happen. He undid his own tie and unbuttoned a couple of shirt buttons before he and Becker respectfully bowed to their lady, each kissing the back of her hand sincerely before slowly walking away._

_It was only when Matt and Becker were out of her sight, did they quicken their pace. _

_When she was right, she was right. As much as they both loved her… Matt and Becker could never share with Emily what they had together. She understood far too well their different needs, especially the one for physical brutality, but she wasn't (always) inclined to join in. _

_The fighting was their time. _

_The fight at the back of the club might have been started by Becker. It might have been because he sniggered at a joke Matt made towards a group of disagreeable men (or arseholes as Becker called them.) who were perfect for starting a brawl with. The lame idiots with loud mouths and no brains made it far too easy and it was a fight that got the blood pumping. It was just what Becker and Matt needed and thankfully they timed their departure just right when the police came along and hauled away virtually everyone. _

_Moments later, with the blood still racing through their veins, Matt was crammed into the back of an Invicta, unable to stop his grimacing or moaning as Becker filled him completely with two hard and painful thrusts. The car was far from roomy, it was cramped and Matt was pinned to the back seat on his knees with Becker's body slamming hard against his back, his cock ramming deep with in him. _

_Becker's forcefulness shook his entire body as well as the car. Matt dropped his head into the crook of his arms and braced himself for each hard thrust . The jolts deep inside made Matt scream with pleasured agony but his outbursts were muffled as Becker's tie tightly gagged his mouth. _

_Matt heard Becker's grunting voice in his ear, egging him on, yelling at him to keep in time with his pummelling jerks and when Matt tried to yell back, he was quickly reduced to weakened grunts and pleading Gaelic murmurs through the tie gag when Becker ran his mouth around the back of his neck. _

"_God… scream for me!" Becker snarled against Matt's throat, grabbed hold of his cock and started to wank him off, squeezing and pulling._

_What seemed liked ages passed, spasms convulsed Matt's body and his shirt was now drenched with sweat sticking to his back and to Becker. His eyes were beginning to water, the tie gag prevented him from being able to stop the saliva from seeping out the sides of his mouth, the Invicta jerked wildly and then Matt entire body tensed. He came and came hard. As his watering eyes screwed shut, he bellowed loudly as the tie would allow, spouting wet sprays of spit before his body began to uncontrollably shake. _

_At that same moment, Matt heard the sound of the car door being opened and there was a gasp and the sound of a gun being cocked. Then a cold breeze wafted over his body and dowsed some of the hot flushes of orgasm. Matt barely managed to open his eyes, but when he did, and angled his head, he saw Becker pointing his gun directly at the intruder._

_Matt had no idea where Becker had managed to hide that. _

_But that was nothing compared to who had actually interrupted them. _

"Guns don't deter me, Becker. But what you're doing looks like fun. Can I join in?"

_No… no! Matt rubbed at his eyes._

Instead of seeing the Invicta's interior and having Becker draped over his back and still buried deep within him, there was darkness. It was cold and damp and from somewhere in the distance he heard echoing clangs of heavy metal doors. His body wasn't shaking from the aftermath of sex, Matt felt sore from beatings and all around his mouth was sore as well, but the gag was gone. He didn't taste cigars and brandy… there was only the coppery bitterness of blood on his tongue.

Matt made out a small glimpse of light from a small hole in the wall in front of him and because of that, Matt could vaguely make out a person sitting next to him. He had hoped he would be alone, but the headache told him otherwise and so did the sound of his own voice.

"That was some dream. Such a pity it's not real… for you, but you'll get there."

Of course it was a dream. Just like his other self was.

"I'm not a dream."

Matt knew that he was mad. He had to be, for he was talking literally to himself, to the Matt Anderson who had told him to come back here in the first place. Becker was right, Matt should never have come on this mission.

"You can't think like that," said the second Matt. "They need you to be here."

"They need me to be a complete and utter fruitcake and talk to hallucinations of myself?" Matt sneered at the other him and shifted his position on the cold hard and wet floor.

"You're not mad."

Matt laughed, even though there was nothing about this situation that was remotely amusing. He was telling himself he wasn't mad, yet here he was, conversing with himself, the same self he had tried to kill. The pain in his head was worsening from all this confusion.

"It won't hurt if you listen to me."

"I'd much rather shove my head up a T. rex's arse."

"I'm not a delusion!"

His arm was suddenly wrenched which caused Matt to fall flat to the floor. The other Matt was touching him, he had his fingers wrapped around his arm, squeezing at his clothes and skin, Matt felt physical contact, just like he had at the station.

"I'm very real… for you." Matt Two stood and moved to where the light source shined upon his face. Nothing had changed about him, he still looked weak, beaten and on the verge of collapse. "I don't know how exactly this happened, I'm not Connor, but the area where Philip's anomaly was, is unstable. There was a moment, at the same time you brought the two anomalies together I was standing at the exact point you were. So when the anomalies merged, so did we. When New Dawn was stopped, I should have ceased to exist. Instead I am a part of you."

Matt really didn't know what to expect from that. He was talking to a future version of himself who was now sharing his head? Anomalies weren't capable of that! No, he had gone insane. It was a far simpler explanation. Though if he was imagining all this, why imagine himself?

"You're not imagining me!" The other Matt seemed a little frustrated with his. "I'm sorry I can't give you a fucking jargon-filled lecture but you have to get used to me!"

"Why couldn't you have been someone else?"

"You mean why couldn't I have been Becker? Oh he _would_ send you crazy if he was sharing your mind." Matt heard his other self laugh. A sad but slightly bemused chuckle. "If he was here, he would be giving you right earful. He would make you listen!"

Then Matt heard in the darkness a saddened sigh and the sound of rustling. There was a long drawn out silence and Matt knew it all too well. His other/imagined self was deeply anxious about something and wasn't anything to do with sharing a mind with him.

"Matt… this isn't about us or Becker. It's never been about us. When I realised I was here, I had to warn you. I had to tell you. Matt, it's Emily. We have to help Emily. Please."

Emily. To see her smile and to hear her voice would be better than hearing his own, but his second self wasn't messing around. He was serious and Matt heard the choking emotion in his voice. He rose up from the floor and leaned against the wall.

"It's Ackley…isn't it?" he growled angrily as the hate began to swell up inside him, causing his fist to clench hard. "He's got her."

"I haven't forgotten what he did to dad or to us but that is nothing compared to what he'll do to Emily! Matt, you don't know what it's like. You have no idea what we've been like without her."

Without her? Matt didn't like the idea of being without Emily, but of course this was just his crazy mind playing tricks on him. No matter how hard he tried, Matt couldn't shake the sickening and agonising thoughts of being without the one woman who had made a difference to his life.

Seconds later, there was sudden blast of light and it blinded Matt. It caused him to fall back and cover his eyes. Even after a few minutes, he could barely see, but he knew that the lights in the room had been turned on. Then, in the far distance, there was the sound of a door opening, metal scraping against metal.

When his eyes finally adjusted to the light, he saw that he had been in a small cell barely the size of a broom closet. He walked over to the door and found that it opened in to a dark and barely light corridor. Just by his door was a knife, small and very much like one of the first knives he had ever held when he was a child.

"Pick it up."

He didn't need to tell himself that. Matt had already scooped it up into his hand, the blade barely visible within his huge palm. The other Matt… the other him, looked to be in no condition to fight or do anything. He was weak, pale and bloodied from all his injuries. He looked a mess.

"You should look in a mirror. You don't look great either."

"Go screw yourself."

"I'm not even going to bother replying to that."

Matt took several steps out of the room and looked around at his surroundings. He had been here before.

The stone prison was unmistakable now that he could see it. It was where he had said goodbye to Emily, where Danny and Patrick had gone back to the Pliocene era. Matt already associated this place with losing Emily and this time he wasn't going to let it happen. His grip on the knife tightened and he walked out into the corridor, cautious but alert. The lights in the prison weren't working, they flickered on and off, giving very little comfort in this darkness.

Don't call out. Don't make a sound.

Matt kept to the darkest sections by the prison walls, edging along step by step, watching for any other signs of movement.

Then there was the screeching sound of feedback coming over the PA system. It halted Matt in his tracks.

"_Matt? Mate… it's me. It's Connor." _

Temple's voice did not sound at all comforting over the PA. He sounded nervous, afraid.

"_Er… Matt… Ackley has told me I've got to say this and you're not going to like it." _Connor gulped nervously and there was another screech of feedback_. "You're not on your own in there, Matt. Ackley has told me there are four of his prototype predators in there with you… they're all in individual cells but in about one hour, one of them is going to be released. Ackley wants you to show him what you did before. He wants to show others how you were able to defeat them. He'll release the others every hour after the first. I'm sorry, Matt. I can't help but if you don't do anything…. he's gonna release them all at once." _

**2011**

Abby waited until everyone else went through the anomaly first. The train driver was able to get the train back, the tracks of both stations lined up perfectly, and then everyone else followed on foot. She didn't tell the forty people much, she could barely say anything as she thought upon Emily and Becker. Abby didn't want to believe that they were dead, but her body and emotions had other plans.

Thankfully on the other side, there were teams of people trained in making up plausible stories. In fact they were people just like Jenny… with charm and charisma, so they could persuade them not to go spouting this bizarre story to the press.

"Abby! Thank god you're all right! Where are the others?"

She turned and nearly fell to the floor. Her mouth dropped open and she was unable to breathe. She felt the blood and colour drain from her face as her hand flailed and eventually grabbed on to Greaves' flak jacket. Greaves saw how distraught she looked and turned round to bellow for some help.

"Medics! Get some medics over here!"

She didn't need medics. Abby was looking at the ghost standing next to him, she was staring at a dead man, who was very much alive.

"Abby… are you okay? Talk to me!" The ghost asked.

"I'm…. I'm fine! And you are too… it seems." Abby turned to Greaves and forced a polite smile to the young soldier. "Kieron…I haven't gone mad, have I? There is someone standing next to us, isn't there?"

Greaves nodded, though he wasn't sure why she was asking the question.

"Yeah. It's the Colonel, Abby. You know him! He's the Head of Security for ARC."

"No." Abby shook her head, the shock still telling her to disbelieve what she was seeing with her own eyes. "Becker was in command, he…. you are supposed to be dead."

"Dead?" The colonel stepped forward and looked back at Abby, horrified as he gently took up her hand. His comforting warm and strong touch wasn't stopping her shakes. "I'm very much alive… I'm real. Can't you feel me?"

Alive?

Abby couldn't contemplate it at first. Her mind was reeling with confusion as she remembered differently from what she was being confronted with. She clearly recalled how things had been five years ago, but her own eyes were telling her different. He was alive, she could feel the roughness of his skin, the squeeze of his fingers and the warmth he produced, but it wasn't possible. Was it?

They had gone back in time. They'd changed it somehow.

"You're real! You're here!" The fear and shock eased and Abby allowed herself to smile just a little as she squeezed the colonel's hand. They had changed the future and if this was a result of it, it couldn't be that bad. Could it?

TBC


	10. Weight Of The World

****_Author's Note: Managed to get another chapter of this story done, I hope that you'll enjoy it and still find it interesting...well those of who are reading it anyways. Be warned this chapter is an M rated one. I own nothing except my own OCs. Beta'd by FredBassett, but there's bound to be mistakes, so they're mine. _

* * *

><p><strong>The Weight of the World<strong>

**1930**

He was tired. He was getting old and his country was failing. Too many people were out of work and there seemed to be no end in sight to the suffering they endured. He looked at the intelligence from abroad, especially of this movement in Germany… but how could anything like that compare to what he was presented with?

He had read reports of monsters, of foul beasts terrorising Britain… he read about the sightings of numerous and mysterious glowing phenomenon. He saw the proof… he saw the bodies and the threat was too much to ignore.

Ever since he had become Prime Minister, James Ramsey McDonald had been given reports about these strange occurrences, he'd read everything that happened even before he'd come into office. The small group of agents who were supposed to be experts in this… were getting nowhere.

"Why do you think you can succeed where so many top scientists and agents have failed?" he asked, pushing the folder across his desk. "Everything I know about these strange rifts is that they have been occurring long before my time. I suspect a lot longer."

"Prime Minister, these anomalies are natural occurrences. They have existed as long as the earth has. You ask me why I can succeed where your people have failed? I've been studying them for years. I have technology that can control them, I can show your people how to detect them. I have walked through the anomalies and returned."

"You have been through them?" McDonald gasped in disbelief. "But the few expeditions where people were sent through… they never returned. How…?"

"That's not important right now, Prime Minister. Suffice to say, I can help. I can prevent the majority of creatures from coming through. I can save lives."

McDonald liked that idea a lot. Here, at last, was someone who knew what these things were, he could do something about the killings and disappearances. There was a glimmer of hope. The Prime Minister picked up the folder and handed it over to the other man, smiling with affirmation.

"Tell me, Doctor… what can I do to help you? What can my office do to help you?"

Nathan Ackley smiled and picked up the folder. He opened it and looked at the old black and white blurred pictures of sighted dinosaurs and creatures. It had always amazed him how no one had figured any of this out. Cutter and Temple had always been the names associated with the founding of the ARC… they were the ones who unravelled the first pieces of the puzzle.

Now things were going to change.

* * *

><p><strong>1932<strong>

The cold water poured all over him, and his body shivered in protest. Becker scrubbed himself down as much as he could with the flaky bar of soap, but it didn't lather as well as modern soaps, nor did it smell as nice though it certainly made him cleaner. He washed the blood from his hair and face and had one last chilling douse, which sent him gasping against the stone wall.

His teeth uncontrollably chattered, every part of his body was shivering with the cold but as soon as he grabbed the towel and wrapped it around his waist, he felt strangely better. Using one arm, he steadied himself as much he could against the wall, trying in vain to stop the shakes.

It had been an hour since he'd shot the raptor and to him they had already wasted too much time. Matt could be dying or dead and just thinking that angered him, but he had to be patient. He had to find him first and he couldn't do that without Edward's help.

Becker ran a hand through his hair and turned to lean properly against the wall. The air was cold, even for this time of year and now his shaking wouldn't stop.

"Get inside, Captain! You'll catch a cold for sure!"

Becker turned round and smiled weakly at the young woman running out of the house to usher him in. It was still going to take a bit of getting used to, seeing and talking to Lester's grandparents, but he had to be careful. He couldn't say anything about the future… not too much so that it would be altered.

The pretty young blonde woman, about twenty years old, waved her arms like a frantic and worried mother to get him inside and Becker obediently complied, grinning with amusement at her antics. He allowed her to wrap another towel around him and push him in the direction of the stairs. The woman was still quite flummoxed about the house, she and Edward were not used to such luxury, according to her.

"It came with his new job," she said, wringing her hands out on her pinny and looking suddenly nervous as she glanced at Becker. "It's more than generous! I can't cope with so many rooms! Edward said that soon we might even be able to have servants! In these troubled times we're lucky to have the clothes on our back! I never thought I would ever see the day where I lived in the place like this."

"Fi! Stop pestering the man! We've got work to do!" Edward appeared in the door of his study, both his hands filled with paper. "Right, Captain?"

"What have you got?" Becker grabbed hold of the towel round his waist, keeping it secure as he used the other to dry his hair. He offered Edward's fiancé an apologetic smile and walked into the office.

"At least let the poor man get some clothes on, Edward!"

Becker wasn't going to worry about that, or the fact that he was still shivering quite badly. Whatever Edward Lester could tell him was far more important.

Edward handed him the papers and Becker noted that on them were listings of several properties, in and around London, all owned by Nathan Ackley. How someone like Edward got hold of all this information, Becker didn't know… but he supposed the kid was just as resourceful as his grandson would be.

"In just two years, since he took over a small—and may I add—secret branch of the government, Nathan Ackley has become somewhat of a… mixed blessing." Edward yammered on as he searched the room for something. "He's helped make some marvellous progress with technology but he's also built up a reputation, to some, for being extremely ruthless. But, Ackley has friends in high places including the Prime Minister I'm told. Don't know if that's true or not… but Captain Becker, the fellow scares me. I had but a simple desk job and now, thanks to Ackley, I'm here. He got me this job, he picked me out and I have no idea why I'm so special! So I've been researching him as much as possible. I never thought that I would end up helping people from the future!"

Becker listened as he skimmed through the places listed on the paper. Ackley had been very busy indeed, how he managed it, Becker didn't have a clue.

"Where's that ruddy whisky?" Edward grinned sheepishly when Becker looked at him with a mixture of confusion and vague familiarity. "Sometimes the whisky helps. Do you want a drop… when I find it?"

"No, thanks." Becker shivered again, but this time the Lester family resemblance was the cause. He went back to scouring through the entries. "Most of these are research laboratories. Do you have any idea what he's up to?"

"No. I haven't been able to get close enough to those operations to tell. Well they don't let me, on the account of me being so young. The talking devices do allow me to eavesdrop on those teams dealing with your anomalies… but other than that I haven't a clue."

"There's nothing here that will single out…." Becker's voice trailed off. His eyes widened with surprise as they read the last name on last piece of paper. "Damn it."

"Have you found something, Captain?"

Becker didn't give him an answer. His fist crumpled the paper up and he then shot out of study as quickly as his bare feet could carry him.

"EMILY!" He yelled her name again and again as he ran up to the next level. He pushed past a bewildered Fiona Lester and he didn't stop yelling until he threw open the door.

"This is where Matt is! He has to be!" he cried, running up to Emily.

"Where?"

"Look at the name! Tell me you don't recognise it?"

Emily looked down at the crumpled piece of paper he had thrust beneath her face and Becker saw her have the same startled reaction. Her hand came up and clasped at her mouth.

"Oh!"

"He's there, Emily, I know he is! We have to go! How soon can you be ready?"

He looked down and was momentarily startled.

In her nakedness she was beautiful. Unlike Matt's body, Emily's skin was perfectly flawless and smooth. No, Becker looked closer. There were some scars, some on her legs but there were three, pale white claw mark—barely noticeable—marking a trail from beneath her breasts and across her stomach and it looked quite vicious. It was the mark of a Raptor and surely the wound could have killed her; instead of finding the injuries impressive, a worried frown creased his brow and Becker traced three fingers along the lines.

"It got pretty close," he murmured under his breath, his face creased with hurt.

Emily rested her hand over his and smiled.

"Too close." Emily placed her other hand against Becker's chest, patting him with comfort. "Besides, I'm still here, so I know how to handle myself. You don't need to worry."

"Not sure I can help it."

"Let's start by helping, Matt." Emily brushed the long wet locks of her hair behind her shoulders and picked up the very clothes she was about to put on before Becker came rushing in. "Becker… don't feel as if you should bear all the responsibility. I will help you we will get him back… safely."

It took Becker a few moments before he snapped out of his trance and edged towards the door. He felt a flush heat his face as he took one more look at the woman, realising in that moment, as she gracefully strolled to the bed just why Matt was so smitten with her. She was breathtaking.

"Have you finished looking now, Captain?" she asked turning round and holding out her arms for him to get a clearer view. Becker slapped a hand over his eyes, but peeked through the gaps between his fingers. Emily grinned. "Get a move on!"

"You're very bossy… do you know that?" he smirked.

"So Matt has already told me. Now go! I'll meet you downstairs."

He nodded a brisk and curt response and then rushed to a room across the hall where Fiona had laid out some clothes for him. Becker began to get dressed and as he felt the warmth come creeping back into his skin, Becker realised that no matter what Emily said, the responsibility was and always would be, his.

It was his duty. It was his burden to bear. It would be all down to him whether they lived or died.

* * *

><p>So, that was why he was here.<p>

Matt crept down the stairs, as quietly as he could until he found a relatively safe and defensive position to remain in. He listened for any slight sound the predators would make, but he knew that it would be extremely unlikely. If they were anything like the ones he knew of, he wouldn't hear or see them until it was too late.

All he was armed with was a knife, one lone and not very sharp knife. Sure Matt had killed a predator with one very much like it when he was little but he didn't know how he had managed it. He had killed others later in his teenage years, but he was armed a lot better than this. Matt's confidence wasn't great right now and it certainly wasn't helped as Connor's voice kept reminding him of the time over the tannoy. Ackley was making the young man do it, he could tell by the quiver in Connor's voice.

"_Ten minutes, Matt. You've got ten minutes before the first predator is released." _

"Thanks, Connor." Matt knew that Connor couldn't hear him. He crouched down into the corner and ran a sweaty and grubby hand through his hair. He was afraid, Matt felt the thumping of his heart in his chest and his mouth was suddenly very dry. "Well, at least _you're_ not talking."

Matt looked to the empty space next to him. The other him who had followed him out of the cell was gone now, the man who said he was actually a different version of him inside his head, was no longer at his side. The silence felt strangely discomforting.

He grew up with silence, he was used to it… now it was really unnerving him.

_She pressed up against him, soft flesh and breasts squashed to his chest and fingers delicately stroked down across his abdomen and up along his length. He jerked with pleasure at her touch and meant to quieten his gasp by kissing her on the mouth. Emily offered her neck instead, allowing his hunger to bite over her throat and down across each of her breasts. He felt her laughter rise from her chest and through his lips moments before she broke away, pushing him and falling back down onto the bed. _

_She was in an extremely vivacious mood, her smile was fiendish and wicked whilst she bit at one of her fingers. Emily arched her hips and kicked Matt playfully to get him to move down between her legs. Her excited breaths and light laughter made him smile as well and then he reached out to feel how ready she was with his fingers. She was more than ready and so Matt gently began to stroke her, watching her face and listening to her moans so he knew how to proceed. Emily licked at her bottom lip and Matt instantly replaced his fingers were replaced with his tongue. _

_Instantly Emily's legs wrapped around his shoulders and her hands pushed at the back of Matt's head. Her excitement made her taste sweet and he longed to push deeper and taste more, but instead Matt pulled away and grinned wickedly at the sound of her whining moan. She was pouting when he rested on top of her, she hadn't wanted him to stop, but that pout soon vanished after he gave her a taste of herself with kiss. _

_Her arms again near throttled him as she lapped every bit of herself from his mouth but her rare fierceness grew even more when the tip of his hard cock brushed at her entrance. She laughed when it was him who moaned, but she stroked lovingly at his sweating face and aided Matt to push up inside her. _

_Matt dropped his face into the crook of her neck, unable to stop himself from trembling as he slipped inside of her. When he couldn't go further, he took a few moments to steady his breaths and then began to slowly thrust with his hips. _

_He loved each murmur from her lips as he moved. Already sweat began to slicken their bodies, a light douse in their aroused state; but it wasn't enough. Slow wasn't right for how they were feeling right now. Matt lifted his head and brushed some of her hair away from her face. He cupped a hand at her check and looked down lovingly into her eyes. Emily returned that gaze, her hand stroking tenderly at his stubbled cheek, and then she dragged him down for another kiss._

_It spurred him on; Emily made him rage for her so much that Matt couldn't restrain himself from quickening and hardening his thrusts into her. The gentleness that was so often the norm for them became a ferocious and desperate embrace, the force he bore into her increased the pleasure beyond the pain and eventually he had her on her feet and half way backed up the wall with his hands planted on either side of her. _

_It was in that moment when she smiled and broke the kiss, that Matt felt his legs shaking, wanting to give out. As he tried to catch a moment to breathe but he saw Emily's distant look over his shoulder and he groaned. He should have known why she was so feisty. _

"_You started without me? Now that's not fair." _

_Matt felt a rough pair of hands trail down his spine, catching the drops of sweat and then cup each cheek of his arse, giving it a nail digging squeeze, before he saw them snaking round to caress at Emily's. A warm bare torso leaned into his back; a hardened erection still trapped within trousers jabbed at his arse and a fleeting mouth bit at Matt's shoulder before Emily leaned forward and stole a kiss from the newcomer._

_Matt turned his head to the side and saw Becker hungrily devouring Emily's mouth and tongue with his own. Matt reached up his hand, thread his fingers through Emily's hair and grabbed hold of her head pushing her into the kiss. His other hand wound round—as best it could—Becker's waist and he angled his head so he could bite and nip at Becker's clean shaven jaw. When Becker finally broke away from Emily, panting and grinning, he turned his attention to Matt. There was the fumble of trousers, a delectable hard smack on Matt's rear and then a tongue forced its way into his mouth. _

_Matt slipped from Emily and finally his unstable legs gave out and he crashed down to his knees bringing Becker with him as they still hungrily kissed. It was obvious Becker had just come back from dealing with an incursion, for Matt could feel his aggression spurred on by the adrenalin still rushing through his veins. Now as they kissed, clawing against each other, it was going where it could only go._

_Becker grabbed hold of Matt's cock and Matt hissed into his mouth as he began to slide his hand up and down with painful tugs. _

"_If you two have quite finished?" A hand fisted in his hair and pulled him sharply back. "It's not just the two of you here, you know! There is a lady present!" _

_Emily was pouting again, like a spoilt little girl. _

_Matt smiled. He and Becker loved it when she was in the same mood as they were, so they eagerly allowed Emily to come between them. She faced Becker and allowed Matt to nestle in behind her. She leaned against Becker, clawing her nails and mouth over his smooth chest and smiled that lovely wicked smile as she pushed her bottom against Matt. _

Matt smiled. A pleasant warmth tingled over his body as it felt, or seemed to remember, a savage but satisfying and wonderful long night with the two people he cared about. He remembered passing out and waking dazed but pleasured, limbs entangled so much that he couldn't tell which were his.

"Oh god…"

Where had that come from?

"_No! Ackley! Please!" His voice was desperate, pleading "Please! Don't do this I beg you, don't do this!" _

_The old man just laughed and with one quick motion, he sliced the blade across her neck. Her blood sprayed over him and the grass, her eyes widened in horror and then she dropped to the ground. _

_Matt heard the shot and saw the bullet impact with Ackley's skull. His head exploded and his body dropped to the floor in an unmoving heap. _

_The shot had come too late. _

_The grief was more than his body could handle and Matt felt the scream tear at his throat. He went to run over to where her body was still twitching on the ground, but his legs gave out beneath him, dropping him to his knees. Matt tried to crawl towards her, with his tears stinging in his eyes and his lungs burning with every breath he tried to take. _

_When he eventually took Emily up into his arms, he held her to him, knowing there was no way she would survive, not like this. The cut was deep, her whole throat was slit and she had already lost too much blood. He could barely look at her, for Emily's eyes were staring up at him, scared and afraid, and as her blood continued to spill over him, Matt felt her gurgling attempts to speak, to say something, anything. _

"_Emily? Emily!" _

_When she stopped stirring, when the light disappeared from her eyes and her shaking hand that clung to his became limp, he cried. The tight searing pain in his lungs and stomach didn't make him stop and when he felt arms pulling him away from her, he protested. He roared and struck out. _

_The retaliation didn't happen. The punch he expected, the different pain he wanted didn't come. He flayed outwards, hitting at the person who had dared to pry him away from Emily, but again instead of the physical blows he wanted in response, he was wrapped up in strong arms and cradled against an equally grieving body. _

"_I'm sorry. Oh god…Matt…I'm sorry .I wasn't quick enough. I'msorrysorrysorry..."_

_Matt didn't want to be held or comforted, he wanted to hurt, he wanted others to hurt, he wanted others to feel what he was feeling. He screamed, bellowed a raging cry of agony and lost complete control. _

_His fist swung out and all his anger cracked into the face of the one who tried to console him. _

_The physical pain of his broken body, five minutes later, only intensified his grief. Knowing that the man lying next to him, beaten to a pulp and bleeding just as bad as he was, would never forgive him, he tried to crawl away. _

"_Don't you dare fucking leave, Matt! Not now! Not like this! MATT!" _

_He wanted to die. _

Matt fell over onto his side. The shock and grief took over him as he recalled memories, of Becker's arms around him, of his choking sobs, the feel of Emily's blood and each other's on their hands. He remembered a fight of rage that left him and Becker in bloody pulps on the floor. He remembered it all, despite the fact that it never actually happened. He saw Emily's death, he remembered the hell life became afterwards. He had become hollow…. nothing.

It hurt so much. Matt felt his eyes stinging with tears and a stabbing pain cut deep into his chest. His entire body was shaking uncontrollably, he couldn't stop.

"Emily…" He scrambled up onto his bottom and rested his head in his hands, the blade of the knife scrapping dangerously close to his scalp. A hand pulled it away before it could nick his skin.

"They're just memories," Matt Two said, the pain cracking in his voice. "You're remembering what I went through, but if you get through this then you can save Emily. Matt, here is where you can prevent her death. Here, is where you can stop Ackley."

Matt tried to focus through the many conflicting memories that were assaulting his brain, but seeing Emily die like that and seeing how distant he and Becker became afterwards, the hollowness of life… it only anguished him more. The tears streamed down his cheeks and the knife was teetering at the tips of his fingers, close to falling out of his grasp.

"_Matt! Time's up!" _

Connor's panicked yell wrenched Matt from the memory and everything was a cold and harsh blur. He scrambled to his feet and after rubbing his eyes, he looked up and saw the shadow at the top of the stairs moving.

Having been cooped up in a cell of its own had not favoured the predator. It was angry hungry and desperate, so it didn't bother with stealth. Matt heard its rasping breath, the click-click-clicks, the screeching of his claws on the stone floor, he heard it sniffing the air. At first the sniffs were many, quick to get all the scents and make use of them, but then there was a long drawn out snort and Matt knew that the creature had picked up his scent.

He saw it. It came out from one of the branching corridors above and it was not like the predators he knew. The one was smaller but it was no adolescent or child for the back ridges were fully formed. It was still eyeless, but its skin was a sickly brown colour instead of a grey and the biggest change of all, was the red clamp embedded into its skull.

It was being controlled.

So it wasn't the predator he was fighting and it didn't matter if the thing was blind. Matt got up onto his feet and strode out into the middle of the prison to confront it.

"Come on! I'm right here!"


	11. Fusion

_Author's Note: Another update. Beta'd again by Fred Basset. Do hope people are liking it...or still reading it! Enjoy._**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Fusion <strong>

**2011**

She wasn't going to have any of it. Abby folded her arms and knew instantly that Lester wouldn't go through with it and nor would the other man. She scowled at them with all her might, not budging an inch because she knew she was right. They had to allow her to go back.

"Fine." Lester heaved a frustrated sigh and sat down in his chair rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "You can go back to the anomaly site once we've completed this briefing, but you're not going through. No one is, especially if what you say is true."

"You don't believe me?" Abby leaned forward in her chair and pointed a finger at the man leaning against the door. "_Captain_ Tom Ryan was killed by a future predator four years ago. I know it, I remember when Cutter came back alone, how struck with grief he was. I remember the funeral held for him, despite the fact that his body had been left back in the past. I remember!"

"You're referring to the predator that nearly killed me in the Permian desert?" Ryan asked, clearly momentarily startled by her outburst. When Abby nodded the colonel smiled. "I would have died, that predator would have killed me for sure if I hadn't emptied my entire magazine into the damned thing instead of using one bullet like I originally intended. It took me a split second to change my mind and that decision saved my life. Are you saying that the others in the past did something that would make me do this?"

"I don't know!" Abby retorted sharply. "I'm not exactly an expert in temporal mechanics now am I? All I know is that you're alive when I remember you dying…. but now…"

Her thoughts recalled Ackley's cold announcement about Becker and Emily and instantly the stinging in her eyes and the burning in her chest threatened to overwhelm her again. Her friends were dead despite the fact that another had been somehow brought back to life. It hurt just thinking about it, but all that mattered to her was getting Connor and Matt back safely.

For the time being, she would do as Lester suggests and keep a vigil at the anomaly site. However, if there was an opportunity to find Connor and Matt, she wasn't going to hesitate. She had to be strong, so Abby took a deep breath and calmed her raging emotions as much as she could.

"Okay, whatever… how is the anomaly holding?" asked Abby, looking out over at Ops to see if anything else had changed. There was no sign of Jess at the main Hub controls, but Lester had informed her that she was off helping Becker's family… oh gods, his family. Who was going to tell them that he was dead? Who was going to tell Jess? She would be devastated!

"It's holding out fine." said Lester. "It's still strong and showing no sign whatsoever of closing. However, I'm sure you are aware that it could at any second."

"Keeping it locked helps," Abby said getting up from her chair. "The longer it's locked, the better chance we have of it remaining. It will give more time for Connor and Matt to get back."

"We need to know more about this Nathan Ackley and what his plans are." Lester beckoned with his hand, obviously thinking that she was going to walk off without filling him on the rest of the situation. Abby sighed. "I'll tell Ryan what I know...on our way to the anomaly."

She knew that he wanted to protest, to say that it was all improper and a full debrief should be done there at the ARC, but Abby wasn't going to waste any more time. She had to get back to Connor, she had to see him safe.

"Are you coming or what?" Abby asked Ryan, when he just stood there clutching at the gun strapped to his chest.

The colonel looked to Lester, who waved him off with a dismissive gesture of his hand, and then Ryan shrugged his shoulders and followed Abby out of the office.

* * *

><p><strong>1932<strong>

He couldn't do anything. Connor felt the presence of the gun without even turning his head. He knew it was pointed at him and that the man holding it wouldn't hesitate to pull that trigger.

Connor had been dragged away from Abby and brought here to one of the guard's rooms, which was choked full of small black and white crudely constructed televisions, along with some computer tech that could only have come from the future and not his own time. If it had been any other situation, if he hadn't lost two of his friends and was about to witness the death of another, Connor would have been as giddy as a fan at their first sci-fi convention at such a sight. He would have talked endlessly about how such future tech looked so right and at home in 1932, with the flickering pictures and crackly sounds; he would've marvelled at the chunky controls that were in the places of keyboards. He would've been absolutely hysterical about the televisions even being there in the first place, especially since they hadn't been invented.

But the fusion of technology wasn't the most important thing on his mind now. He was worried for Abby, for himself and now for the man he had to watch on one of those crude flickering screens, the man standing face to face with a predator.

"Why are you doing this?" Connor growled through his teeth. "What has Matt Anderson done to you?"

Nathan Ackley sat down next to him, and propped his feet up onto the console. In his hand he was closely observing a thick cigar, rolling it occasionally through his fingers. He was fascinated by it, sniffed in the aroma packed within the roll and then glanced at the screen.

"Matthew Anderson. A fine young boy… he had such potential. He failed to live up to it."

"You're wrong!" Connor retorted. "Matt has saved this entire world! He's changed the future… he's done what you failed to do."

The click of the gun made Connor jerk in his chair and when he angled his head, the disapproval on Ackley's face made him shrink back down again. The older man's glare seemed to burrow beneath Connor's skin and it made him shiver…. it made him turn away and look back to Matt.

"I would watch your mouth, son," Ackley warned. "Matt has stopped nothing. I should know. My people tell me the future is still as it is, worse even, and with Matt's help, I'm going to be the one who'll make it habitable again. If his old man hadn't filled his head with lies, history would have turned out a lot different!"

"So because you had a beef with Matt's dad, you're going to kill him? You're nuts, do you know that?"

The hand was around his throat in an instant. Fingers squeezed his wind pipe, cutting off his air supply and insane angry eyes glared down at Connor. Yet the voice that responded was strangely calm and devoid of any malice, which was far more menacing.

"I said to watch your mouth, so it would be wise to take heed of those words, Temple." Thankfully Ackley loosened his grip and enabled Connor to drag back air into his lungs. "I'm not going to kill Matt. I could never do such a thing. He's special and I need to see what he can do because Matt can redeem himself and help me make the future a better place. Here, in this time, he can help me to perfect my achievements."

What was he trying to achieve? Connor decided to do what the man said and kept his mouth shut, opting also to keep his thoughts to himself as well and find a way to help Matt somehow. He couldn't fathom what Ackley was up to. Matt had mentioned that he had created the predators as a means to find a way for them to survive the toxic air of the future.

But there was no need. They had stopped New Dawn.

Or had they? Again the old man's words, his confidence, worried Connor. He had said that the future was worse than before…. his people had told him? How? Connor had so many questions and he was determined to find out the answers, but beforehand he was going to find a way to save Matt and there was only one option left open for him.

It resided in a small device Ackley kept in his hand. The device was certainly not from this time, nor Connor's own, but it was instantly recognisable as some kind of remote for the neural clamp, the only thing that was controlling the predator standing in front of Matt.

Connor pushed the thought about the gun to the back of his mind and leaned forward in his chair to look at one of the screens.

_"Please, Matt. Don't die. Please don't… we've lost Becker and Emily… please, we don't want to lose you too."_

He had to think of something.

"This is going to be very interesting!" Ackley smiled and propped his feet back up on the console. He lit up the cigar and puffed serenely as his hand toyed with the remote. "I do hope that he won't die."

"You said you wouldn't kill him!" Connor cried.

The click of the gun and the cold harsh metal digging into the back of Connor's head made him clamp his mouth shut.

Ackley grinned and puffed a billow of smoke into his face.

"I won't kill him! Oh good heavens, boy! I told you already that I could never do that! The predator on the other hand might well do. You see, the ones he's going to face here in this prison are my first batches of prototypes and the neural clamp has only been successful… well, actually it hasn't yet. I'm sure he can manage to dispatch this one before I release the others."

_Oh god… Matt._

* * *

><p>The predator wasn't making a move.<p>

Despite Matt yelling and making himself such an easy target, it did nothing. The horrid sniffing gurgled and snorted, inhaling Matt's scent, puffs of putrid breath wafted from between its teeth and long tendrils of drool dangled and dripped to the floor. It twitched, its head jerked as the neural clamp sent it signals contrary to its instincts to kill.

Matt could see it was resisting. It was fighting against the controls of the clamp, as it clearly and desperately wanted to rip him to shreds.

But how long would that last?

"It's different." Matt circled the creature, or rather the other Matt circled it. "Not at all like the ones back home."

"Tell me something I don't know," Matt replied.

He didn't like this. He hated that there were predators here, that Ackley was alive and starting up his experiments again, he hated that he was talking to himself, seeing an alternate version of himself. _Please! It's impossible! _ How could the anomaly fuse two people together? Anger jolted and shook at his body, his fist clenched tightly around the knife.

This was madness. He was in 1932, having hallucinations of himself, talking to himself and standing in front of a creature that surely should have killed him by now. He had no help, there was no sign of Becker or Emily and Connor was being kept as leverage. One false move and Connor's life would be forfeit. The hate was swelling up inside him as he recalled everything that Nathan had done to his friends and to his father. He swore he wasn't going to let anything happen to Connor.

But could he ever rest? Will there ever be a single moment where he didn't have to save the world or stop supposedly dead madmen?

"Do you know what might be a good idea?" asked the hallucination as it still circled the panting drooling creature. "Killing it. You've got a knife… the thing is not doing anything."

Trust a figment of his imagination to state what should have been bloody obvious.

Instantly, he lashed out and instead of the blade digging directly into its skull, the red light of the neural clamp flickered and the predator was able to move. It turned its head but received a slicing deep cut across its face instead. It screamed, blood and spit spewed over Matt's face and then a long claw tried to rip him apart. In that split second someone pulled him back, the claws ripped oat his shirt, but it made him trip over his own feet and fall to the floor.

"Don't thank me or anything!"

Matt didn't give his alternate self any heed at all. He scrambled on his backside, away from the predator as it then focused on trying to rip out the clamp from its head. It seemed the device was malfunctioning, coming on and shutting off, infuriating the predator that continued to scream with agony and fury whilst it flailed around. When its attempts to rid itself of the device only resulted in more pain for itself, the predator staggered back.

Matt got to his feet as quickly as he could and didn't wait around. He ran back to confront the thing and took another shot, but still the predator managed to dodge him. Matt tried again. This time he didn't hold back, this time he put everything he could into the arching sweeps and hard, deep thrusts of his knife. Four or five attempts to strike the predator proved futile as he caught nothing but air, but there were moments when he got the hits in. Matt wasn't quite sure how he managed it, only that he did.

Everything was a blur and all he heard were its screams, plus his own and Connor's through the PA system. All he saw was the predator through the sweat and blood dripping into his eyes and when he received heavy the bouts sending him back to the floor, it was no use keeping still, he couldn't.

Despite the fact every part of him was hurting, aching and protesting, Matt always got back to his feet and every time he did, more of his clothes were torn and a few more bloody claw marks appeared on his arms and on his chest. Even though he was taking a beating and dishing out hurt himself, Matt considered himself lucky because this predator wasn't as fast or strong as the ones in his time. If it had been, he would be dead in seconds.

Though was it slow? Or was he quicker? Matt knew he wasn't the fittest of men at his age, but now it was strange. He did feel more agile than he had in years, as the adrenalin, anger and fear surged through him and powered him on, though even that shouldn't have been enough to last this long against the creature.

He attributed that to the neural clamp. It was holding the predator back, some of the time. Ackley was controlling it… Ackley was the one playing with him like a cat to a dead bird.

"He wants you dead!" the other Matt said. "He wants to see you die!"

"Then stop playing around!" Matt screamed up to the ceiling, hoping that Ackley could hear him. "Turn the neural clamp off and let the damn thing kill me!"

The light went out.

The predator leapt up into the air, it used the walls, railings and upper levels to perch on, and it circled around Matt, seething with hatred as it gathered more strength. Then it jumped down and kicked out. It went to finish Matt off but then it screamed and howled with fury as the clamp activated and forced the predator to retreat.

"Ackley, stop fucking me about!" Matt yelled.

The creature seemed to agree. The predator leapt behind Matt and screamed again, spraying fetid bile and blood back all over him. It kicked, using one of its long hind legs and it caught Matt so hard in the stomach that he was sent flying across the room.

How he managed to turn his landing into a roll and get back on his feet, he didn't know, but Matt did, staggering and clutching onto the stairs gasping for breath. In that moment he would have given up, he felt like giving up… but he thought of Becker and Emily and how pissed off Becker would be for him giving up, so he straightened up and watched the thing do its leaping dance all around the prison hall. He watched and when it dropped down before him, Matt lifted his arm and lobbed his knife directly at it.

It was pure luck, surely.

The blade struck where its eye would have been. The high pitched screeching wail made Matt cringe, yet he hauled himself off the stairs and took the only opportunity left open to him. He rushed the predator and slammed into it with a rugby tackle, sending both of them skidding along the floor. The wall brought them quickly to a crushing halt the creature taking the full brunt against the stone. Before its teeth could gouge off Matt's face, he seized the perfect opportunity, his hands grabbed its head and turned it viciously to the side. A crack sounded as its neck broke and the predator became limp.

The full weight of the predator collapsed on him and oozed its blood over him. The smell was atrocious, but now the pain began to register and his weariness was taking its toll.

"That was actually good work," said Matt Two, sitting down next to him and leaning against the wall. "Well done."

"Thanks… for nothing." Matt sneered, spat out a mouth full of blood and shoved the body off of him. "You could've helped."

"I'm in your head, remember? Besides you've killed the predator."

"It's not the first one."

"I know, back in our own time we were young and stupid and actually went looking for confrontations with them!"

"We… I had more than a knife."

"You do realise we're getting slow in our old age?"

Matt didn't want to have this conversation with himself. He just wanted to close his eyes and sleep. He also wanted a damned shower for the smell of predator on him was making his stomach churn.

"You can't rest. Not now, Matt."

"I've got time."

"No. No you haven't."

Connor's voice stated as much.

"_Matt…. you've got five minutes before the next predator is released. Matt! You've got five minutes! Get up! Please, mate! Get up!"_

* * *

><p>"Why have we stopped?"<p>

Again Becker's tone was a lot sharper than Edward liked. By the dark scowl on her face, it seemed that Emily disapproved of his harshness. Lester pulled on the large handbrake and turned off the engine, which spluttered a bit before turning silent.

"We've stopped here, because it's safer." said Edward, pointing to where the prison could be seen just off in the distance. "This is Ackley's most heavily guarded and secure facility in the whole country. We cannot just park outside the entrance and wave to the guards as we go in. We will be shot. If we park here, we can make a more stealthy approach and avoid the guards all together. Well most of them I suppose but you never know."

"Do you know where the guards are?"

"Er…. some of them." Edward grinned sheepishly, but he saw that it really didn't impress Becker at all. The captain slipped out of the car and proceeded to load two Enfield revolvers. He placed one in a holster beneath his jacket and kept the other firmly in his hand.

"Well… I'm going to have to be careful." Becker sighed heavily with frustration. "Emily, stay here with Edward, make sure nothing happens to him."

Edward noted that she didn't like that idea.

"You expect us to stay here why you go in and rescue Matt on your own?" Emily grabbed hold of his arm and forced Becker to turn round and look at her. "Do you know how dangerous and foolish that is? Besides, I am not incompetent, Becker!"

"I never said you were!" he snarled back. "I would gladly take you with me, Emily… you know that, but I…."

"If you're going to say that you're doing this to protect me, I will slap you." Becker smiled briefly at such a prospect. "Didn't you listen to a word I said before? You can't assume such responsibility! You're not the only one who loves him!"

"I know that, god I know that! I meant for you to stay… to keep him safe." Becker pointed a finger at Edward. "Because if anything happens to him, then you know what happens. He is just as important."

Becker didn't say anything more, he didn't need to. Edward saw Emily finally understand and the two of them hugged tightly, parting with Becker kissing her forehead.

"I'll bring them both back, Emily. Matt and Connor, I'll get them both out of there and then we can go home."

It wasn't going to be as simple as that and they knew it. Edward watched their gentle exchange, the way their fingers grazed together, Emily's longing to go with him and the squeeze of her hand Becker gave before he turned round and skulked away towards the prison.

When Becker was gone, there was an awkward silence in the car. Edward kept glancing over his shoulder at the lady and when she smiled he reverted his gaze to the wheel of the car.

He couldn't believe how much his life had changed. He couldn't believe that these people were from the future… well he could it was just so astounding and marvellous just like out of his favourite books. It was an experience of a lifetime! Becker's last word before he went off to rescue the other two men did make him think though. He had said he was important? Him?

Edward James Lester was no one important. His family was a working class family that had lived in London for generations. His father was a local butcher as had his father been before him and so on back to as far as they could remember. Only Edward was different. He had always wanted to do something different and whilst his father greatly disapproved, his mother was the one who allowed him to leave, because of Fiona. His mother wanted them to have a good job with a good income for a new family and in the end his father accepted.

So Edward worked hard and got the job he wanted… it wasn't much, nothing exciting, nothing important.

"What did the captain mean, miss?" Edward turned back round in his seat. "What did he mean when he said that I was important?"

Emily smiled and looked away to scout the area.

"You can't say? Does it mean then it has something to do with my children or grandchildren? You being from the future it would have to be. Do you know what…?"

"I can't say much… except that yes, you are important and we're not going to let anything happen to you."

Edward smiled proudly. He puffed up his chest and adjusted his hat to a more macho angle, slightly tilted to the side. He was important!

A few more minutes passed by. Emily had got out of the car and was circling it, keeping a careful eye out for signs of Becker or any other kind of trouble. The gun in her hand was steady and sure and seeing a woman…a lady…handle a weapon like that was strangely assuring. Weren't a woman's place to have such things, but for her it felt right.

"So… Irish means a lot you then?" he said, suddenly.

"I beg your pardon?" Emily briefly stopped in her patrol around the car to look at Edward.

"Matt… the Irishman. He means a lot to you. You love him?"

"Do you really have to ask that question?" Emily smiled.

"You do then. He loves you back?"

"Yes."

"What about Becker? You seemed quite close with him as well."

Emily wasn't sure if she wanted to explain the rather bizarre relationship she had found herself in with both men, and what Matt and Becker shared. Somehow, she didn't think that Lester would approve or even understand. She didn't quite understand herself, especially with the new — yet not unwelcome — feelings for Becker.

"That was quite an impertinent question wasn't it?" she asked, attempting to be angry at young boy, but he looked so like James Lester, adorably cute at this age, and she couldn't keep a straight face.

"Forgive me," Lester said, jumping from the car and standing next to her. "You said to Becker that he was not the only one who loves Matt. If you know that the captain does indeed… then… it's… I just don't want you, clearly a fine lady of standing, to have your feelings and your heart broken over two men, especially if they're the queer sort."

"Don't fret, Edward. I don't think any of us are going to have our hearts broken. It's not like that."

"Well then what is it... oh!" The young man's eyes went wide with shock. "You mean… you and them? Like… _that? _Bloody hell!"

Emily laughed and patted the bewildered and dumbfounded-looking young man on his cheek. She was so pleased that she didn't live now or in an age where such closed minded thinking was in abundance. She grinned even more when she thought of Henry -such a homophobe he was - and just what he would have thought about the two new men in her life. _Men._ Becker was certainly going to be a part of her life because if Matt loved him surely she could do the same?

Emily stepped away from Edward, allowing him to muddle through the concept of what just came to him. She stepped away and someone grabbed her from behind.

"Gotcha!"

Emily didn't scream. Instead she jammed an elbow straight into the man's side, forcing him to release her. Her foot slammed down on his and when he doubled over, Emily turned and sent a shocking punch to his face. Something cracked, there was blood.

Two more people tried to restrain her, but she was quicker. Another broken nose and severe genital pain after a knee in the groin dropped the two men to the floor and Emily kicked a well-placed booted toe into a third man's knee, which sent him down to join the others.

"Enough! Stop it now woman or Lester here gets his head blow apart."

Emily spun round and aimed the gun in the direction of the voice.

She recognised the man. He had been there at the anomaly when they had first come through. Beeks.

He had a gun to Edward's head.

"Did you just call me woman?" Emily sneered, striding up to Beeks and jabbing the barrel of her gun against his forehead.

"I'd really put that gun down, Lady Merchant, or Edward Lester will die. Ackley knows how important he is to the future and I don't think you would want to change it now… do you?"

Emily dropped the gun. She allowed the other men to bind her hands behind her back. She allowed the men to take her and Edward away from the car and bundle them into another. She didn't fight or resist.

Becker was going to be serious pissed off now. Ackley was going to be in trouble.

Emily smiled.


	12. Far From Okay

****_Author's Note: Here we go again. Next chapter and hopefully upping the angst a little bit. I own nothing except my OCs. _

_Enjoy. _

* * *

><p><strong>Far from okay <strong>

**Intermission **

**2011**

Typical.

Her phone had died.

Jess was normally very good at keeping her phone charged. In fact it was virtually impossible for her phone to die like this as she was meticulous in keeping it charged. How it had happened was bugging her horribly, but it wasn't her main concern and nor were the reporters roaming the corridors of the hospital trying to get witness statements about Convergence. Right now the important thing was how to confront the people she'd come to see.

"I wish we knew what to say," said the nurse who showed Jess to the ward she needed. Jess wished the same, but she daren't mention that she worked for the very people who knew everything. She thanked the older woman and stood by the doorway, trying not to invade the family in their moment of grief.

Becker should be here. He should be back with his family, not risking his life stuck in 1932. Jess clenched both her fists and tried to calm herself with deep heavy breaths. She had only heard stories of his family, but seeing them now, Jess couldn't help but feel a connection to them, as if she had known them all her life.

Carys Becker, the only sister amongst four brothers and the eldest, lay unconscious in a bed covered in white sheets and dressed in dire hospital attire. Her face was bruised and cut from broken glass, her arms were in plaster casts and there were numerous bandages covering up wounds all over her body. There was mask covering her face, feeding her oxygen, and a tube ran from her hand to a bag of saline, and numerous other tubes supplied medication to her pale form.

She was a mother of three yet still in the Army. Becker had told Jess that his "sis" was a woman of wit, a joker and at times a rotten tease to her brothers, but always protective. She looked like Snow White lying in that bed with her long ebony hair splayed out over the pillow and Jess could see that beneath all her injuries, she was beautiful.

The whole family seemed to be blessed with good looks.

His mum and dad were both tall and their dark hair was smattered with silver grey. His father was a proud soldier in his pristine uniform and with his stern rigid posture. The man was also trying hard not to cry, but just like Becker, it was obvious in his eyes… those same deep emotional eyes that couldn't hide what every other part of them could.

His mother never tried to hide her feelings at all. She was crying, worried for her daughter and for the little boy that Jess could now see was clinging to her leg. The devoted grandmother, the dutiful soldier's wife… Jess had heard Becker talk of his mother, how commanding and how devoted to her family she was. She was a woman who had no objections to be being the housewife, the one who stayed at home, cooked in the kitchen and looked after her children. The way the two other men looked to her, the way they _all_ circled her… meant this woman was worshiped for being just who she was.

The other two men were Becker's brothers. Both were in their thirties and looked to be prime rugby players, bulkier and broader in build than Becker and much taller. The men were about 6ft 2, Jess would need to crane her neck back further if she had to address them, and they looked pretty intimidating. One was in the RAF and the other was a school teacher. They too had that same Becker compassion in their eyes, but they were like statues next to their parents.

Jess tried to remember their names. Adam, the fly boy. Justin, the rugby coach and…

"Can I help you, miss?"

Jess was startled so much that she jumped and her dead phone dropped out of her hands. Another hand caught it, but she was still in shock at the sight of Becker standing right next to her.

No. Not Captain Hilary Becker, but someone who looked more like him than the rest of his family. Daniel.

He was not that much older than Becker but he had similar breathtaking good looks. He was not as well built, his hair was a little longer than Becker's, slickened back with a little gel, and he was wearing a suit that seemed to accent his form very well. Behind his glasses, again Jess noted the redness of worry around his eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm Jess Parker I…"

"You work with my brother!" The man smiled softly and held out his hand. Jess took back her phone and then shook it. "I'm Daniel. Becker has told me all about you."

"You call your brother Becker?" she asked in surprise. Daniel grinned.

"No one except our mum and Carys call him by his first name. It's family law and always has been. He's not here?"

Jess only opened her mouth when she realised that all the family were looking at her. She choked on her reply and it came out as a nervous cough. Only Daniel, Becker's mum and the little boy still clinging to her legs looked kindly at her. The General approached her and looked down at her in such a manner that Jess felt her feet shaking in her red boots.

"You work with my boy?" His voice sounded deep and gruff from behind his beard.

Jess nodded.

"He's on assignment right now. Is that why he isn't here?"

Again Jess could only nod.

"Tell me… my boy has something to do with what happened today. He deals with these rifts and the creatures somehow. For the past four years I have not known anything about what he's been doing and now I must."

"I'm afraid it's… classified, sir," she said, smiling as sincerely as she could.

"He's told me enough times himself, but now that the world has witnessed these strange portals and beasts, now that my daughter has been injured because of it, I should know what my son is doing! He was out there… wasn't he? He was in the thick of all that chaos, with those… those things?"

Jess didn't exactly blame the old man for being so abrupt, she understood, but she was biting her tongue from snapping back in defence of herself. She wanted to explain what the ARC was and how the team had saved all their lives in the past but it would only anger Lester and get herself into trouble. Jess didn't feel any better when the other two brothers stood either side of their father.

"I can only confirm at this moment that Captain Becker is currently on assignment. He cannot be reached and I've been sent to let you know he is not able to return as of yet and to pass along our sentiments and best wishes for your daughter's recovery."

Ugh. It sounded so hollow and insincere. Jess noticed that Becker's mum nodded in thanks. Daniel appreciated it as well, and even one of the others, Justin probably, smiled. The two military men were still suspicious.

"Does my brother know Carys is here?" Adam sounded eerily like Becker as well. Such familiarity was unnerving for her. "Is he aware she's been injured?"

No. He's stuck in the past in 1932. He hasn't a clue.

"Adam… leave her alone." Daniel stepped between them. "She's not military, and certainly not one of your lackeys you can bully. She's Becker's friend so can we treat her as such?"

"Danny is right. You're being extremely rude to the young woman." Becker's mum shoved her husband and sons aside and ushered Jess to her daughter's bed. The woman smiled and took up Jess' hand. "He's told me about you, dear. It's nice to finally meet you…"

"I wish it was under different circumstances," Jess replied, giving the woman a comforting squeeze of her hand. As she did so, the men stepped back into their protective circle around the woman and the bed. Daniel took the little boy round the other side and lifted him up into his arms.

"So do I." Becker's mum sniffed and gently wiped her nose with a handkerchief. "But my Hilary… he is all right… whatever he's doing?"

Jess nodded. "He is and he'll be back very soon." _I hope. _

"You seem like a nice girl, Jess." The woman squeezed her hand. "From everything he's told me about you, I'm pleased you're his friend. Are you… are you and he close?"

Jess briefly looked away and bowed her head. She didn't want to discuss something like that now. She didn't want to tell the woman that she was still madly in love with her son, yet it hurt to know that he considered them just friends. She didn't want to tell her that it was Matt Anderson who her son liked instead of her.

Becker's mum mistook her reaction to the question as affirmative. She smiled happily. "I thought as much by the way he kept talking about you. Are you keeping Hilary out of trouble? He can be just as stubborn and pig-headed as this lot."

No. That's Matt's responsibility now.

"I… I try my best, but he doesn't always listen."

"Ah. It's his father's trait. All my boys have it. Though Hilary is the worst, he seems to think that everything is his responsibility." The general was about to make an argument against that but his wife shot him a scornful look and he backed off. The woman then dabbed at tearful eyes when she looked back to her daughter. "I do wish he was here. Carys means the world to him and his brothers… it's… not right that he's not here with us. The doctors aren't sure when she'll come out of this coma, or if she even will. The accident was quite horrendous. The paramedics said that one of the portals opened directly in front of her car, a creature, this huge cat like thing came out of it and collided with her and forced the car off the road. It rolled several times before stopping. She's broken a lot of bones and… and… the paramedics said she was barely alive, that she's lucky to be alive… even then she's not fully…"

Mrs Becker—Jess didn't know her name—couldn't say anything more. She let her hand slip from Jess' and she sunk down to a chair at her daughter's bedside, trembling and choking with agonising sobs. The general stood behind her, offering Jess an abrupt nod of dismissal.

Now wasn't the time for Jess to be here. She had said as much as she could so Jess decided to leave the family alone. She turned and walked away. When she got to the door of the ward, Jess was stopped in her tracks by Daniel's call.

"Miss Parker." He halted beside her, still comforting Becker's young nephew in his arms. "Thank you for keeping us informed about my brother… will he come here as soon as he's able?"

"I have no doubt about that," she said, "I'll make sure he does."

"Thank you. It was nice to meet you."

Jess never really got to say anything more for she had to step aside rather suddenly when the ward door opened and a man followed by two young girls rushed through. The little boy in Daniel's arms cried out "Daddy" and was handed over to him. Jess watched the distraught family follow Daniel back to the side room.

Jess went out into the corridor and found a lone seat by a window. There she watched the chaos around her and hoped that her friends and Becker would come back soon.

She prayed, but it did little to change her anxiety.

**End of Intermission**

* * *

><p><strong>1932<strong>

Becker had gone a fair distance, and had to hide a few unconscious bodies, before he heard the commotion back at the car. Again he was proven wrong and he cursed himself as he retraced his steps back to where he had—so foolishly—left Emily and Edward Lester.

Keeping himself hidden behind some trees, Becker watched as the men tried to take Emily captive. Thinking she was nothing but a weak female, one man clearly believed it would be easy, however he didn't know Lady Merchant.

Becker watched her fight them off and found himself admiring her skills and agility. He always knew she could handle herself, but watching her impressed him, she made him admire her more and Becker felt the tingle of attraction spark up in his chest at such aggression in her punches. Unfortunately Emily couldn't do anything further when Edward had a gun pressed to his head. Becker couldn't do anything either and his anger increased as he helplessly watched them being dragged away. He could have used any of his guns, but he couldn't guarantee that Emily or Edward would have come away unhurt.

The men were taking them to the prison, that much was certain so he followed them, keeping his distance to make sure he wasn't seen and again dispatching the guards when needed. It was hard work to keep himself hidden, a brief lapse in concentration allowed one man to spot him and he split Becker's lip with a hefty punch, but Becker was able to knock him out cold before he could signal or cry out for help. After making such a stupid mistake, he became more irritated, but Becker forced himself to keep calm. Any more mistakes would ruin his chances to get Emily, Matt and Connor out safely.

He was not going to fail them.

They came to the prison quickly enough. Emily and Edward were taken inside and three more men took up position by the main entrance. There was no way he was going to get in that way, not without making his presence known. However, because Becker had been here before he knew there were other ways in, easier ways. He shrugged off his jacket and laid it on the grass by one of the trees. He slipped his braces off his shoulders and rolled the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows before heading towards the prison. As ever, the gun was ready in his hand.

Being in 1932 was not as fun or glorious as he had hoped. Things were far from okay and if he hadn't have been so impatient in trying to get to Matt and Connor, Emily and Lester would still be with him and his chances of success would be higher. This was going to be tricky at best, but Becker was determined. He was going to get them all back to 2011 and Ackley would be held accountable.

Very accountable.

* * *

><p>"Matt? Matt! You've done it, Matt!"<p>

Had he blacked out?

He wasn't sure, though it was highly likely as now his eyes slowly fluttered open and the view of the prison, of the bloody mess he was sitting and covered by, formed a sickening blur. Every part of his body hurt, the pain of bruises and injuries intensified with the slightest movement he made and Matt had to do all he could from retching up the contents of his stomach.

"I didn't do anything," he moaned after a few moments of letting his surroundings spin in dizzying circles. "Did I? Everything is a little hazy."

That was an understatement. He felt like death. His head was pounding so hard he thought it was going to explode.

"You've killed the predator, I'd say that's something. Matt… Emily's not going to die here."

Matt flapped a hand with dismissal at his other self, which he regretted as a burning sensation shot along his arm. He had barely survived that fight and weren't there more of them? Hadn't Connor mentioned there were three others as well? Matt didn't think he was in any condition to go up against more predators. He was bleeding, he was covered in the dead creature's innards and blood and he was so weak. He thought a couple of his ribs might be broken as well.

Matt tried to move and he hissed when a searing pain in his chest made him stop.

Yup. He had broken some ribs.

"Do you know what this means?" Matt Two whispered.

"That I'm utterly screwed?"

Matt Two laughed and shook his head. "No. Matt… we can have the life we were meant to have!"

"You seem oddly sure about that. So you're going to help me defeat the other predators how?"

Matt slowly angled his head and looked to his side. The other him appeared to be in much better shape than he did right now. Through the blood dripping in Matt's eyes, he could see there wasn't a scratch on him. He looked refreshed, clean shaven and his clothes were spotless. In fact this new clean and healthy image of himself made him look several years younger.

That really wasn't fair.

"I can't help you in that way, Matt. I'm just in your head. Remember?"

But he did help. Didn't he? When the predator took that first swipe at him, hadn't Matt Two pulled him away in time? He had felt the tug on the back of his shirt, he had fallen back and avoided death because of him. Or was that just a fluke?

"Not a fluke. It was just a little mental nudge, which is about as much as I can do for you. Matt, can you get up at all?"

He tried to. The pain was too much, so instead of being able to stand on his feet, he sank back down onto his bottom. The pain increased as he landed and it almost made him pass out.

"That would be a no." he groaned and grimaced at the taste of blood in his mouth. "So that living thing you're so pleased about? It's not going to happen."

"You reckon?"

"I'm not getting up unless I have actual physical help." Matt leaned his head back so he could look up to the top of the main stairs. There was no one there, no sign of anyone who could help. "You can't do it because you're in my head and that is getting annoying, by the way, and somehow I don't think the cavalry is going to turn up."

"What about Connor? Becker? Emily?"

That would be nice. It would be ideal, but unlikely. Matt didn't even know what happened to them except that Ackley had them taken away, perhaps to be used as leverage like Connor. While the chance of Becker finding a way to escape was high they wouldn't know to look here. Would they?

No. They might not even be alive.

His chest began to hurt even more with that thought, his eyes stung and a brewing anger boiled inside of him. If Ackley had killed them… Matt knew that he would never be able to contain himself. All that control and discipline he had learnt in his youth would be meaningless.

His life would be meaningless.

"You give up far too easily. Maybe you're not as special as Ackley said you'd be."

Huh?

Matt again looked at the pristine hallucination of himself and immediately a stabbing pain dug and twisted in his head. Matt Two was smiling, grinning as if this was the best day ever to have happened but the more he smiled, the more the pain jabbed like needles into Matt's head. He screamed, or rather he thought he did, Matt couldn't hear. His hands latched to the side of his head, but such an action did nothing.

"Stop screaming, you bloody eejit, it's nothing! You cannot stay here! You have to get up!"

Hadn't he said that enough times already? Why was he continuing to tell Matt what he already knew?

"I know!" he screamed, spitting blood and detest at his other self. "Stop telling me!"

"Okay, if you insist. How about a nice sing song? We're Irish, Matt… we like a good sing song!"

"What the fuck?"

"A song? Might it make you feel better?"

"I don't want to sing a bloody song! I want to get out of here!"

"_Oh never, Oh never, Oh never again  
>If I live to be a hundred or a hundred and ten<br>I fell to the ground and I couldn't get up…"_

The tune and the words seemed familiar but Matt couldn't recall where he had heard it before and neither could his hallucination who began to whistle the tune instead of singing any more words. Along with the slightly off-key whistling, Matt began to hear ringing in his head. He yelled for it to stop but in the distance there was the sound of the prison's heavy doors clanging and after a few more mumbled attempts to remember the words of the song, a voice other than his own—Connor's— sounded in the distance.

"Please mate, get up."

_Shut up! Stop talking! Stop yelling at me! _

There were some more voices, many and all talking at once before the shrieks of the new predator screamed loudly and suddenly. Matt didn't know that he had picked up the knife and was squeezing his hand tightly around the handle.

His delusion hadn't stopped whistling. Connor was still begging and pleading for him to get up and the creature, having sensed the death of the other, howled with fury.

_Shut up! Please shut the fuck up, the lot of you! _

They were shouting his name so much but he knew who he was and that he needed to get up. He knew that he would die if he didn't.

"Around the ragged rock, the ragged rascal ran!"

"MATT! The predator is out! You have to act! You have to get to your feet! Please mate! MATT!"

"Tell them I'm not crazy! Tell them I'm not mad! Twas only six pints of that cider I had!"

_Shut up! Shut up! Shutupshutupshutup! SHUT THE FUCK UP! _

"I'm not crazy!" With a strength he didn't realise he had, Matt leapt to his feet and lunged towards his other self. The knife went straight through the singing grinning delusion and caused Matt to lose his balance and stumble. He slammed into the other wall, crashing down to the floor and smearing the wall with more blood. Again, even with the injuries he had, Matt managed to get up and confront his singing other self. Matt could barely keep still… swaying from the dizziness

"There we go then! You made it!" Matt Two applauded happily and then became serious, cold and menacing. "And what are you going to do now that you're on your feet?"

"I'm not crazy! I'm not!"

"Course not," Matt Two sneered back with sarcasm. "I'm a real live boy."

"You know something? I don't believe you're me from an alternate future." Matt held the knife up to Matt Two's face, hating how much better he looked.

"Oh? Really?"

"An anomaly can't do that, not even Connor's artificial one can do that."

"So you are crazy then aren't you?" Matt Two smirked and carried on whistling.

"I'm NOT CRAZY!"

"Matthew, you're talking to a hallucination of yourself… when a very real genetically created superior predator is coming to kill you. Do you really think it's a good idea to be having a go at me?"

Matt lowered the knife. His feet staggered, his head swam as the confusion and doubt added to the pain he was already experiencing. Sweat and blood stained his eyes as he strained to look about him.

_"Oh never, Oh never, Oh never again  
>If I live to be a hundred or a hundred and ten<br>I fell to the ground and I couldn't get up…"_

The second predator didn't like his singing.

* * *

><p>Connor watched the skirmish between his friend and the predator in horror. That quickly changed into surprise as Matt survived more than a few seconds against the thing. He forgot about the six foot whatever ruffian with the gun to his back and instead focused on the fight. Every so often his eyes would turn away from the monitors to look to Ackley.<p>

The man was loving it far too much. The way his eyes gleamed with joy when the creature got in a hit, the smile or laugh when Matt was knocked to the ground… it sickened him.

He noticed that Ackley was controlling the clamp, but only when it suited him. Ackley was allowing the predator get in devastating hits but he held it back, teasing Matt with small glimmers of hope as he gained some precious seconds of recovery. Ackley smoked a cigar all throughout, the disgusting smoke filled the room and Connor found it more difficult to breathe.

It was only when Matt tackled the predator that Connor saw the surprise flinch on Ackley's face. Yet the smile widened when the predator's neck was so swiftly broken.

"Atta boy."

Connor was confused. What was Ackley doing? On one hand he wanted Matt dead then he was pleased that he wasn't.

Then a few moments later, Connor was more worried about something else. Matt was talking, conversing with thin air.

"This is interesting." Ackley stubbed out his cigar and rose from his seat. He looked at Matt with wicked amusement. "It seems she's done her job far better than I ever expected. Clever girl. Mr Andrews, stay here and keep an eye on Connor… I have a meeting with my wonderful sponsors. If he tries to do anything, you can shoot him."

"Are you sure? You said the boy can…"

"I'm not a boy!" Connor turned round and got a poke in the nose by the gun for doing so.

'Mr Andrews' snarled at him.

"You said this boy was important to you."

"True, to a sense. I have all of his journals that survived New Dawn and they've been more than useful. Connor Temple is a legend in my time, he is the man who made my work possible. Only kill him if you have to."

Ackley patted Connor on the back and winked at him, as if this was all just some kind of joke. He got up from his chair and handed the clamp remote to Andrews. He whispered something into the other man's ear, something that Connor couldn't quite make out and took one last brief look at the screens before walking out. The nozzle of the gun pressed harder against Connor's face and after a sneer of utter contempt, Connor turned away.

Things only got worse. Connor watched as Matt began to have a conversation with himself, verbalising the two different sides, laughing and then seething and spitting with hatred. A signal on one of the controls indicated that the next predator had been released and Connor tried to warn Matt. Thankfully Andrews didn't shoot him for simply yelling through the PA system, but his voice crumbled into nothing when Matt began to sing an old Irish drinking song, occasionally interrupting to tell himself to shut the hell up.

What had happened to him? "_It seems she's done her job far better than I ever expected."_

Connor placed his hands over his ears. Matt's insane yellings were horrible to hear.

"He's flipped!" Andrews laughed. "He's actually flipped! Not surprising with all that shit on him! Are you sure you want to save someone that cracked?"

Matt wasn't the only one who'd flipped. Connor didn't know how he did it, but if he had thought about it, he wouldn't have dared act. Connor's arm shot up and his elbow impacted with Andrews' arm, knocking the gun clean out of his grasp. Connor followed through with startling speed, his other hand clenched in a fist struck up to the man's jaw. It caught him completely by surprise, but what was even more surprising was that Andrews fell and his head knocked against the wall, rendering him unconscious when he hit the floor.

Connor was momentarily astounded at his achievement. He couldn't believe that again he had managed to take down someone twice his size. His fist hurt badly, but he wasn't going to quibble about it. Connor grabbed the clamp remote from Andrew's hand and once more yelled into the mic, hoping that Matt would hear him.

If he had, Matt didn't give him any indication to that effect. He stood at the end of the stairs, swaying and singing, interchanging between laughter and rage, and Connor saw the predator sneaking slowly round one of the corners, its foul vocalizing harmonizing horribly with Matt's own crazed words.

In the heat of the moment, under pressure, was when Connor Temple was at his best. He wouldn't have said so, but now as his friend and leader was close to being torn apart—again—Connor's hands blurred over the controls, in an attempt to keep the other cells permanently locked. He then picked up the gun and went to the door. He knew how to get to Matt, but he only hoped he would get there in time to save him.

He kept his finger on the button, hoping that it was enough keep the predator at bay, but it wasn't working to its full extent. The creature was resisting and Connor knew that he had pissed it off even more. The predator jumped down the entire flight of stairs and landed with a hefty thud in front of Matt.

"Oh no! No no no no no no!" Connor pressed the button again and again, desperately hoping it would keep the thing back. But he was only making it more mad.

The predator's drooling mouth was inches away from ripping off Matt's entire head.

Matt laughed and spat in its face, before carrying on singing.

The howl from the predator came again as Connor shocked it, but what happened next came as a surprise and great relief.

Connor's focus had been on Matt and so had the predator's, so none of them noticed until it was too late. The gun fired and a second lot of brains and guts exploded over Matt's face.

The body dropped to the floor and Matt was about to fall as well, but Connor whooped for joy when he saw who had caught him.

"Becker! You're alive!" Connor rushed back to the mic and yelled through it with joy. "Becker! You're alive!"

Somehow Connor suspected that Becker's gesture of thumbs up and the grin upon his face wasn't exactly sincere.

"Ah…. I really shouldn't have shouted that out loud."


	13. The Man Behind It All

_Author's note: Heck! I forgot to post this one up! Jeez! I didn't realise! Any ways, here's the next installment, if anyone is interested still. Do let me know what you think. Chars! _

* * *

><p><em><strong><span>THE MAN BEHIND IT ALL<span>**_

_"Connor! Where are they?!"_

_"They were right behind me! I swear! They were right behind me!"_

_"Oh god….the anomaly is closing!"_

* * *

><p>So, Matt Anderson was finally suffering for what he had done. Nathan smiled to himself and leaned back in his chair. Matt had seen his father's slow painful decline and witnessed his death, now he was descending into the very depths of insanity, just in time to be killed by the very things he and his father tried to destroy. Anderson really didn't realise how the universe worked, even after their discoveries and fantastic accomplishments.<p>

It was news of the woman's arrival that pulled Nathan away from the control room. He had hoped that the stupid fools of this era could carry out a simple task of killing the other two, but irritation gnawed inside his head when he heard that she lived and was now here with the Lester boy.

If she was alive, then so was the other man.

Nathan Ackley would have loved to have stayed and watched Anderson be torn to shreds, but another thought came to mind.

When he reached the small guardroom where they were being held, Nathan smiled as if today was his birthday and he was being given the best present ever.

"My Lady!" He walked up to her and hugged her, clutching her tightly and squeezing her as she tried to resist. He released her and there was that detest, that scowl and loathing upon her face. "It's surprising to see that you're still alive… and here! But I should never rely on others to do what must be done. You never could be apart from Matt for too long, if I recall. He couldn't bear it, he followed you around everywhere, he clung to you like a child to its favourite toy and I can see that even now, he still does! Also where is that delightful soldier of yours? Hmm? The gruff-looking man, who seriously needs to lighten up?"

The woman said nothing. Her jaw was clenched, those pretty little lips were pouting with determined defiance and she looked as if she wanted to fight back. She was feisty. He could see why Anderson loved her so much. There were not many perfect specimens of womanhood such as her, it would be a shame to have to kill her.

Ackley reached out his hand to touch one of the long curls of her hair. She flinched but then his hand snapped up and grabbed her face, dragging her closer to him. He angled his head and nestled his face into the mass of curls. He took in a deep breath and inhaled her scent.

"Delicious… simply delicious."

Of course she reacted harshly to that, she jerked and tried to kick him, but he pulled so hard on her hair that she went down to her knees. He fell down next to her and kept a firm tight hold. The woman, the lady of refined dignity and composure struggled and cracked her head sharply into his face with a ferocious head butt. Nathan felt the blood trickling down his nose and the laughter spilling from his lips.

"My! Such spunk! Where did you get it from?" Nathan wiped the blood from his face and laughed at the woman struggling in his grasp. "Listen. Let us get down to business. Your presence here, though wonderful reunion it is, is most tiresome. You do like to meddle don't you? You've got those boys wrapped around your thumb, but I can't have you stopping me from what needs to be done. I have important work, my Lady. It's vital that I be allowed to finish it and put the world to rights."

"Who are you?"

She didn't know him!

Of course she didn't! She was still so young. How stupid was he being? His memory wasn't as sharp as it used to be and Nathan was starting to hate it. Old age really was so cruel.

Lady Emily had no inkling of what was going to happen. Perhaps he should explain.

"Forgive my rudeness, m' Lady… Merchant, is it still? You haven't married that dolt yet?" Her defiant scowl made him smile. Nathan bowed. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Nathan Ackley. I come from the future, not as far as Matthew but it's far enough. Where I came from, there was a horrible plague. It was an epidemic so terrible that I had to do something about it. People depended on me, they looked to me for guidance, for hope and I would have succeeded. Matt and his father came through the anomaly and ruined everything! They made me into the bad guy! They made people I had known for years turn against me and in the end Gideon Anderson and his so called peers thought it best if I was dead."

"I don't believe you," the woman replied, so defiantly that it made Nathan sigh. The poor thing, she was utterly clueless. "Matt would never-!"

"Well you're wrong! Just as they were!" he snapped angrily, causing her and the Lester boy to fall back in shock. "They tried to destroy me and my work, and failed! So in return I gave Gideon Anderson a slow and agonising death and I _know_Matt was there to see him in the end!"

It was in her eyes. Nathan saw the sadness on her face and knew without her saying a word that she had been there too. She had been there when that old man had died and she had seen his son's grief. Nathan smiled.

"I wish I had been with you." he said, whispering it in her ear. "Did he cry, my lady? Did Matthew weep and break like a baby?"

"You… you killed his father?" she gasped.

"Oh yes. A simple injection, a toxin I designed to eat the body's internal organs over the years."

"Why? Why would you do that?"

"Because he tried to kill me! Didn't you listen? Gideon Anderson had that damned morality pole shoved up so far up his backside that he was blinded by what I could have achieved! He said I was a monster and I had to be stopped. Well I stopped him first! It was such a shame that Matthew believed his lies… Matthew could have stayed with me, he could have been great!"

"So you made Gideon suffer? You're crazy!"

That was the wrong thing to say. With his spare hand, Nathan whipped a knife from the inside of his jacket and jabbed the pointed end right against her throat. A little knick was all he gave her and a trickle of blood ran down her skin.

"You bastard!" Edward Lester got a punch in the stomach for his outburst and he dropped to the floor, coughing his lungs up. Nathan's man, Beeks, gave him a kick to the back for extra measure.

"I am a genius, you depraved whore," Nathan hissed, dribbling some spit down Lady Emily's face. "I am not crazy… no one calls me that! No one! I could have saved them… Gideon took me to his own time and showed me how I could have saved them all! He said that my predators, the creatures that I made, would destroy everything! Ignorant fool! He didn't understand so he tried to kill me and those who followed me. I used their knowledge of the anomalies, I used their technology to come back here and carry on. I came here to make sure that I would succeed. I came here because I need to! I am not crazy… do you understand?"

He jerked her hair again, causing her to cry out.

"I understand!" she snapped.

"Good!" Nathan dropped the knife and let go of Lady Emily's hair, but only after kissing her gently on the cheek. "You are lovely. If I knew for sure that you would understand me, I would let you live. But like the vast majority of people on this earth, you don't."

"So you are going to kill us?" The Lester boy sat up, holding his stomach and immediately Emily shuffled over to help him.

"For certain, eventually." said Nathan, getting to his feet and plucking another cigar from his inside jacket pocket. He lit the thing up and smoked it… feeling a little more soothed. "It doesn't matter what you or the colonel do, or try. I have loyal followers everywhere, in different times and they are dedicated to helping me. Matt is of no use to you now because do you know why? He _is_crazy! Bless him… I think he's starting to see things!"

"What… what have you done to him?" asked Emily jumping to her feet. The sudden movement made Beeks grab her arms.

"Me? I've done nothing! Matthew has a serious mental illness. I could have him locked up… ha! In a place like this probably, but I think it would be better if he was put out of his misery. We don't want him to suffer… no, wait! Yes we do!"

Nathan puffed the smoke straight into Emily's face and watched her recoil in disgust. She may well be strong and hard, but she will break when she sees Matt.

"As for you, Lester." Nathan addressed the young man and helped him to his feet. "I am deeply hurt that you turned against me as well. I had hoped that I could groom you to become my successor! I had hoped that you would follow in my footsteps, but instead you chose to help them. After everything I did for you, Edward. I gave you a job, a house and future prospects in these dire times! You could have prospered instead of wallowed in with the masses of the poor!"

"Erm… no thanks, guv," said Edward, folding his arms and pulling a face. "I'll take my own chances."

Nathan sighed.

"Ah… then the most logical and sensible thing to do would be to kill you too, but I would be so loathe to rid the world of a man like James Lester. Your grandson… from what I've learnt about him… could be someone I'd like to have around. He is a fine man and actually, that does sound good. I have to get someone to retrieve him! Might you like that, boy?"

Edward looked confused, then there was an excitement in his eyes as for a brief moment the idea appealed to him, but Nathan was disappointed once again as the man scowled back at him.

"Oh. So I'm going to have to kill you as well and then... sadly… James Lester will not have existed."

"NO!"

The back of his hand struck the woman across her face. She cried out but did not fall. She didn't start sobbing or begging and of course she wouldn't. Not ever.

Lady Emily Merchant spat at his feet.

"That is such a disgusting habit for a lady like you!"

_"Becker! You're alive! Becker! You're alive!"_

Nathan grinned when he heard that voice over the tannoy.

This was going to be truly momentous.

Nathan turned to two other men standing nearby.

"Take her Ladyship and Mr Lester to the main atrium. Then go into lockdown and evacuate other personnel still present."

"But sir, what about Anderson and the others? Don't you want to make sure that they…?"

Nathan continued to puff on his cigar as the prisoners were dragged away.

"The only thing that's important now is the continuation of my work. I've had enough of the 1930s, it's time we moved on."

* * *

><p><em>The sultry, soothing tones of the trumpet played over the distant wireless. The crackles from the speakers only added to the lulling feel of it and when Ella's distinctive voice began to sing, Matt smiled. He had always liked her voice, it put him at peace.<em>

_The restaurant they normally frequented here was empty. Chairs were upturned on the tables, the stage was bare except the abandoned instruments, but Matt could still feel the vibe and energy of when this joint was fully packed. It felt like there were still people here, laughing, dancing and enjoying themselves as the band played on. Yet it was dark… all the lights were off, save one spotlight pointing towards the back rooms._

_That was where the music was coming from. Matt pushed his fedora slightly to an angle, draped his coat over his forearm, and loosened his tie before he followed the sound of Ella's voice. He walked through the door and along the small cramped corridor. It was a little eerie to not see this place teeming with waitresses and staff running around like mad flies, but he didn't dwell as he began to ascend the stairs._

_The music was getting louder. Matt felt the new tempo of the song beginning to sway him, he wanted to dance but when he reached the top, there was another sound._

_There was laughter, not the loud boisterous jovial type of laughter, but mischievous… sexual. Feminine. Intrigued, Matt walked to the room and pushed open the door._

_Ella's voice went silent. The music stopped._

_This room was not supposed to be here. It was cold and hard, a small cramped prison cell. There was a metal frame of a bed attached to the wall and a drab mattress; there was very little light coming from a small and tiny window with bars on it. He was back in the prison._

_But to Matt, it was the sight of the naked couple, locked in a maddened embrace on the bed, that gained his attention. They were laughing as well as yelling with a crazed ecstasy and Matt felt embarrassed that he had barged in on them like this. _

_He was about to apologise, but then Matt saw her face, leaning over the man's shoulder as he pummelled again and again into her with fierce jolts. Matt was shocked when he recognised them both._

_"Emily? Becker?"_

_"Get lost, Anderson!" Becker panted breathlessly into Emily's neck as he shoved hard, slamming himself into Emily with such force that she cried out and her head flopped against his shoulder. Her hands dropped away from his back, hung lifelessly at Becker's side and her legs slipped from the position around his waist. Becker pulled them back around and continued to thrust, making her whimper. He tilted her head back and when she smiled and giggled, they kissed as if they were starving animals._

_"It looks like they don't need you."_

_Matt Two stood next to him, smirking and looking so turned on as he watched them. Matt scowled, but then as he too continued to look, he couldn't help but feel just as aroused, watching as Becker's legs gave out beneath him and they collapsed to the bed, heaving with exhausted breath. Matt watched as they continued on, despite their fatigue and Matt couldn't stop himself from looking closely as Becker's mouth kissed over Emily's chest, as Emily clawed her nails sharply into his buttocks, her legs hanging half way in the air._

_Oh god, he badly wanted to join them…_

_To stride across Becker's back, to bury himself deep inside… to slip beneath Emily, to hold her… to share what they were having._

_"They don't need you."_

_Matt Two approached the bed and stroked at the flesh of Becker's arse. The couple were completely oblivious to him._

_"This is what is really going to happen, Matt. You think you love either one of them? That they love you back, or even want anything to do with you?" Matt Two stroked a hand down Becker's back. Becker briefly stopped and looked round to Matt Two, scowling with disgust._

_"Fuck off! We don't want you here!"_

_"See?" Matt Two held his hand out in a gesture but it really didn't deter Becker at all. Matt saw him turn back around to Emily and smile before slowly starting again._

_They were looking at each other, still with a lot of lust in their eyes, but the way Becker massaged Emily's breasts, the way Emily responded in kind to his thrusts… they didn't even care that Matt existed._

_"Let's change that… shall we?" _

_The blade appeared from nowhere and ripped Becker's neck open. Blood spewed everywhere and he collapsed on top of Emily, drenching her with red. She screamed hysterically, she tried to push him off her but she couldn't._

_Matt thought he had screamed as well, but the sight of it all only made him choke in his throat. Tears streamed down his face as the rage overwhelmed him, Matt lunged towards Matt Two and went to grab him, but his other self punched him hard._

_"They don't want you! They never wanted you! It was never about you! It was only ever going to be them! No third wheel, no pathetic and sorry excuse for a man called Matt Anderson!" _

_Matt felt sick. He was going to vomit. Emily's wails and frantic thrashes to get out from underneath Becker was horrible, Matt wanted to help her. He needed to. _

_"She doesn't give a fuck about us, mate! So you know what the best thing to do is? I say kill them both!"_

_Matt hurled. Vomit spewed from his mouth along with his cries of denial and he spun round, staggered away and fell through the door, painful searing spasms in his stomach and chest collapsing him to the floor._

_Ella started to sing again._

_"It's okay, Matt. I know you loved him…and her…but this is for the best."_

_Matt forced himself to look, he turned just as Matt Two pulled the bloody and naked Emily into his embrace. He cradled her in his arms, stroking Becker's blood off her skin and just when her wails died down to little mewling sobs, Matt Two brought the knife to her throat._

"NO!"

Matt flung his arm up and there was a slash of a sharp blade against skin. There was a cry of agony.

He blinked a couple of times and saw he was in the main atrium of the prison.

He looked down at his hands and they were covered in blood and so was the knife. Matt began to shake, he couldn't stop it and when he looked up again, he thought his heart stopped and he panicked.

"No! No!"

The blood was dripping down Becker's face. It oozed from a diagonal knife wound that ran across his brow, barely missing his left eye, to the top of his ear. Matt watched as Becker tried to suppress the pain, to stop the bleeding with his own hands, but it wasn't working as the crimson fluid seeped through his fingers.

The blade had fallen from Matt's grasp, but all he could do was watch Becker covering his face and listen to the sounds of pain he tried to suppress. He was horrified, pleased and confused at the same time, Matt didn't know what he needed or wanted to do, so he looked all around him, he looked for that other him.

_"I'm not here. You have to face the consequences of your actions now, boyo!"_

There was no sign of the other him, only his voice, his thoughts echoing in his mind. He had done this?

"No. No! No! No! No!" Matt began to shake his head, thinking it would help, thinking it would make all the blood and the horrid stench and sickened feeling in his stomach go away. He curled his legs up to his chest and began to rock, whispering over and over to himself. "This isn't happening. This isn't real. Da… da… tell me what to do."

"Matt…" Becker's groan of his name didn't register.

* * *

><p>He kept the finger on the button.<p>

Connor heard the sounds of all the cell doors opening, followed by the screeches of the predators. The man, Andrews must have regained consciousness and did what Connor had feared. The things were now loose, but if he kept his finger on the button—assuming the remaining ones had clamps—then they might not attack. There could still be a chance he could get to the atrium in time, to Matt and Becker.

He turned a corner and stopped.

He had been down here before.

"Oh great. You utter pillock, you're lost." Connor gripped the gun in his free hand and turned back to the way he came. "How could you lose yourself in this place? You've been here before! You know this….!"

The laughter was a little bit out of place and when Connor turned, he caught a fleeting sight of a woman, long blonde hair trailing behind her. At first, he thought he was hallucinating, but her laughter sounded again and Connor ran after her.

His brain was in chaos, wondering what the hell was this woman was doing here, who is she, but he had to help her, that much was certain. No one, even if they did work for Ackley, deserved to be killed by the predators.

After turning several corners and navigating through more corridors of this damned maze of a prison, Connor was slowly getting out of breath. He had tried calling out for her to stop, that she was in danger…that they were both in danger—it didn't click at first to Connor that he might run head first into a predator—but she didn't respond. The woman kept laughing and running.

"Oh shit." Connor stopped, panting for breath. "It's a bloody trap."

"Couldn't have put it better myself."

Connor looked up and walked towards the end of the corridor. The room opened out into the Atrium, the centre of the prison and down below was a horrible sight. Matt and Becker were down and they needed his help, but he couldn't get there.

He turned behind him and there she was, standing there smiling and waving at him just like she had the first day he met her.

"You're…you're dead," he gasped, lifting the gun up and pointing it at her. "Abby told me you were dead!"

"'fraid not, pumpkin." April Leonard grinned and walked slowly towards him. "That was the real me. Dawn was far too insane to carry father's work."

"Nathan Ackley… is your father?" Connor's face screwed up with disgust.

"Well not really. I'm just a clone. Constructed in a tank apparently and I turned out to be saner than my real counterpart."

"Saner?" Connor scoffed. "Really?"

He saw the twitch of annoyance in her eyes, brief as it was, and that smile of hers beamed wider.

"I'm glad you've come back, Connor. I'm glad you're here to witness what will happen to your friends. Well, that's if the predators don't kill you first."

Her finger pointed right and when Connor slowly turned his head, he froze in horror. His path to the only stairs down to Becker and Matt were now blocked as the last two remaining predators crept out into the open.

_Oh shit._

"I shall send Abby your farewells when I see her again!"

He kept his finger on the button, his eyes flicked to look back at the predators still stationary at the top of the stairs and thankfully they hadn't moved to strike. They hadn't moved further, as he hoped it was the clamps and him keeping them from doing so.

"This wasn't how it was supposed to go," April said, her voice sounding so soft and innocent… manipulative. "Nathan Ackley is a genius, he's the man behind it all and he is the one who will put everything right. So New Dawn didn't work, but he's got lots of other ideas and the means to carry them out. The means being people like me."

_"It seems she's done her job far better than I ever expected. Clever girl."_

Something clicked in Connor's head.

"You… you did something to Matt, didn't you?"

April nodded, proudly.

"I gave him a little something a while back, a nice little cocktail to put him on edge. Well, I think it's made him utterly nuts, it could even get worse. I wasn't exact with what I created."

That smile made Connor's gut wrench. That smug arrogant look on her face only reminded him of how he had let her fool him and of how he had been so close to losing his friends, and Abby.

He wasn't going to let her get away with it now. He wasn't going to allow April to win.

"Aw…I'm sorry I've upset you and ruined everything for you." She said, sarcasm dripping from her lips. "But I really can't stay here and chat. I've been asked to go back… to catch up with a stuffy little friend of yours!"

No.

"No." he said, aiming the gun directly at her. "You're not going anywhere. You're going to help us get out of this. You're going to stop Ackley and put things right in this time."

April held back her mirth with a gasp.

"You're threatening to shoot me, Connor? I don't think so. You wouldn't dare and besides, your aim is terrible."

She laughed and turned away and that sound grated in Connor's ears. He pulled the trigger.

His finger slipped.

As the bullet made its impact, the screams of the predators made Connor's heart nearly explode in his chest. He spun back round and saw that his lapse and slip had allowed the two creatures to move. One had leapt up to a level above, clinging to the side and twisting its eyeless head towards Connor. Even though it couldn't actually see him, it felt as if it was looking directly at him.

The other had jumped down to the bottom of the steps.

Panic swelled up in his throat. Connor got a new grip on the device and pressed it firmly again. Just in time.

Before it could take a huge gouge out of Becker, the predator on the ground veered sharply back, screaming and howling, collapsing on the ground. The other fell from its perch, smacking into the metal walk way opposite Connor.

"Becker!"

Then there came another sound. A heavy thudding sounded, along with a klaxon, which was followed by successive loud bangs and that meant only one thing, lock down.

_Oh shit. Shit! Bugger it!_

There was no way out.

Connor turned back to April.

She had gone.

* * *

><p>Abby didn't like the look of things when she and Ryan got to the anomaly.<p>

"Report!" Ryan ordered.

Greaves sighed. "We have a problem sir. A big one."

"What is it?" asked Abby.

"We can't unlock the anomaly."

"What?" Ryan snatched the device from the younger soldier's hands and glared at it, hoping something would be evident. "Why can't you?"

Abby knew. It meant that it was locked, from the other side.

There was no way the others were going to get back now.


	14. Stranded

_Author's Note: Okay, I wrote this a while back and only now managed to get this posted here. Sorry for any delay to those who still read this. Hope you enjoy it though. _

* * *

><p><span><strong>STRANDED<strong>

Edward and Emily were shoved through the door just moments before lock down.

When the sound of an alien scream echoed through the prison, a chilling fear froze Edward's body and he fell against the wall. He didn't at first notice every part of him was shaking until Emily's hands grabbed his arms and her pale face slowly came into focus.

He heard her whispering voice telling him to calm down and to keep quiet but the screaming didn't stop. There was also a thick sickening scent in the air, bitter and coppery and that meant only one thing.

Blood.

"What… what's down there?" he stammered, unable to stop himself from looking towards the atrium.

Fast blurring movement of shadows shot across the walls and clicking bat-like screams made Edward Lester tense even more. His heart was racing, beating and pounding furiously in his chest and a cold sweat formed on his brow and trickled down his back. He could barely breathe although he had to force himself to do so.

This was not what he'd ever thought he would experience or ever wanted to experience. All the books he'd read and all the imaginings of creatures from out of space had been just that, a part of his imagination. It had been comfortable just inside his head but the anomalies changed all that. The dinosaurs and creatures he'd learnt about in school were indeed fantastic in reality, but it was much more frightening.

Edward was still trying to get his brain around what caused the anomalies and the technology Ackley had introduced. In the short few days he'd been a part of this secret department, it surprised him how little they actually knew. Finding out that Ackley was from the future did explain why, but the fact that the anomalies could bring something from the future, it never occurred to Edward. He never thought that he would get to learn about his own future as well.

Ackley had mentioned a grandson. James. A man that Emily and her companions knew and knew very well. His mind was in overload as he thought about what this grandson of his would be like… was he a good man? Was he anything like him or even his father or mother? What kind of a future did they live in?

"BECKER!"

Edward was startled out of his pondering as a scream came from a distance. He realised that it was not something this time, but someone crying out, someone in pain. Emily had already started running towards the voice and so Edward scrambled up as quickly as possible, following her to the main atrium.

He wished he had stayed where he was.

The creatures he saw writhing on the floor were not like anything he had ever seen or heard of. They were grotesque, beyond hideous and even as the things shook on the ground helplessly in convulsions, Edward stepped back several more spaces.

"Becker!"

Emily wasn't afraid. She ran straight towards it all, without even a moment's hesitation.

Blood was everywhere, the smell alone should have alerted him but it never registered before. There were several bodies of the creatures in a sloppy mess on the floor and the sight of it riled up a sickening churning in his stomach which threatened to spew up in his mouth, but then Edward saw the state of the two other men.

Becker was clutching at his face, gritting his teeth and holding back the cries of pain from a wound, his blood dripping between his fingers.

The Irishman was even worse. He was covered in red but Edward could see that the majority of it wasn't his. He was sitting up and his face was contorted with pain as he clutched his knees to his chest. He was muttering something, his eyes staring in horror at Becker. He was horrified as to what he had done, for the knife was right next to him. This was not the same man Edward had met when they came through the anomaly.

Back then, the Irish had been a calm and collected man. There had been compassion and a sense of control about him, but it was not so now. Irish was crazed, driven to the point of insanity from probably facing these creatures and Edward didn't blame him. Those things would send anyone mad.

The next few seconds happened quickly.

Emily reached the men, scooped down to where Becker had dropped his gun and pointed it directly at the convulsing creature. She didn't hesitate, her finger squeezed the trigger and the bullet impacted directly into the thing's skull.

Completely unfazed, Emily turned to the other and fired again. It hit the predator's torso, making it mad instead of dead. Up on the level above, Edward saw the third man, the one they called Connor, leaning over the rail and holding something in a closed fist. The second creature thrashed even more when the red device on its head glowed intensely. The thing's claw swiped out and nearly caught Emily's ankle, but a second bullet ended its life.

It didn't stop its twitching.

The gun cluttered loudly to the floor and Edward heard Emily's sharp and painful intake of breath before she ran to Becker's aid. Edward blinked and thankfully his fear cleared away. A bit.

Emily frantically ripped some material from her dress, a single green strip and used it to wrap around Becker's eye, stopping the bleeding as much as she could. As soon as Emily tied the knot and secured the makeshift bandage, both Emily and Becker turned to Matt.

Becker dropped to his knees and attempted to wrap his arms around Matt, but Becker only agitated him more.

"Get off me! Get off me, you fuck!"

"Matt… it's all right! It's okay! It's us!"

"GET OFF ME!"

"What wrong with him?" asked Emily, panic sounding in her voice for the first time. "What happened?"

"I don't know." Becker's voice momentarily broke, distress and anguish fleetingly crossed his face. "I tried to reach out to him and he slashed me with the knife! I don't understand!"

Matt yelled again for them to leave him alone, he thrashed and struck out but it didn't deter them, Becker took every blow and he didn't budge an inch. Emily tried to clean Matt up, her hand attempted to get through his flailing arms and all the while Emily urged him to calm down, but Matt wasn't having any of it.

He was spitting utter hatred at them and then at Connor when he finally came down the stairs.

"Oh shit! Guys!" Connor clutched at his stomach and gagged a few times, but he managed to keep his composure. "We've gotta get out of here! April! She's-!"

"April?" Emily turned sharply, her eyes darkening. "What's she got to do with this? She's dead!"

"No! She's not! She's here! Sort of. Look, she's Ackley's daughter! So this goes way back! Guys, we've gotta get out of here and find her!

She did this to Matt! She did this to him!"

"Fine. We'll deal with her later, Matt needs help!" Becker sneered.

"You need help too." Emily interjected.

"I don't care about me! Connor! Find a way to get those bloody doors open!"

Connor didn't need to be told again. He simply nodded in the affirmative, grabbed Edward by the collar of his coat and dragged him away whilst Becker and Emily again tried to settle Matt.

Matt's screaming still wouldn't stop. His babbles of hateful curses and yells of hurt and anger echoed across the walls and Edward couldn't bear it. Even as he followed Connor through the corridors towards the control room, he could still hear Matt. Edward stumbled when Matt began to laugh in the midst of it all.

"Edward? Help me!" Connor's voice broke through it all and snapped Ed's attention round to him. "The prison is in lock down but I think I can contact the outside from the control room. It's our best chance to get the guys to a hospital but preferably one in my time!"

"I don't know what I can do, all that tech is beyond me," Edward stammered as Connor helped him back up the stairs. "Look, Ackley will have certainly left some of his people behind to make sure that we don't get out. They'll be guarding the anomaly too! Do you really think he would leave it open for anyone to walk through?"

"Oh ye of little faith! I've got me and my team out of many tight spots! I'm not going to fail now. A second lot of hands will be greatly appreciated!"

"Fine! If you insist."

Connor grinned as if Edward had just said something amusing and led Lester back to the control room. It was locked just like all the rest of the doors, but Connor just grinned some more, stuck out his tongue and eventually managed to open it by finding a hidden manual release.

Edward had seen some of this new technology before but he couldn't help but be in absolute awe at the sight of the control room when they walked through and how Connor worked it with such ease. This was clearly from the future and not just simple advances as Ackley had originally stated. It was amazing.

"Right! They've done what I thought they'd do, which was disable the lock down commands at this station." Connor said, flicking more switches and thumping buttons.

"How is all this possible? What is all this?"

"To me? This is ancient but so cool! Ackley has seriously screwed with the timeline introducing all this stuff. Look, the only way those doors are opening is if someone from the outside does it for us. Do you know anyone we can contact, someone with authority, who has one of your walkie talkies and who isn't under Ackley's thumb?"

"You mean a radio? Yes, there's Miles Jones. He's a good chap, from the few times I've met him. He doesn't think that highly of Ackley so I'm sure he'll help us."

"Let's get Miles on the horn then!"

"And you can do it? Using this… equipment?"

Connor grinned again.

"Sure. Give me enough time I could reverse what they've done and disable lock down but that could take a while and Matt and Becker don't have that kind of time. We need to get them out of here now."

Edward wasn't going to argue with him, he gave all the information he needed and sure enough, Connor was able to make radio contact with the man in question. Edward explained the situation and the response they got back was promising.

"But don't just come yourself. Bring everyone, emergency services, police, everyone."

_"Very well. We're on our way now."_

Edward felt much more reassured and smiled with a great satisfaction. He caught Connor looking at him strangely.

"What? Is something wrong with my face?"

"Nope. It's just for a moment, you looked so much like… well you reminded me of our Lester."

To Edward it looked as if that was a good thing, judging by Connor's smile. He didn't have time to ask anything further as Connor flicked a few more switches and headed for the door.

"Let's get back."

Upon their return to the atrium, Matt's screaming had died down to quiet murmured moans. Emily was kneeling down next to the two men, trying to coax Becker to let go of Matt, who was having none of it. When Edward announced that aid was coming, Becker didn't budge.

Edward thought about prying for more information. He wanted to know exactly what those things had been but he knew he wasn't going to get any answers, certainly not from Becker or Matt. However, it seemed that Becker himself was demanding some answers and turned round until he could see Connor with his good eye.

"What did April do to him?" he demanded.

Connor shrugged his shoulders. "She said she gave him something, something that is making him sick," he said solemnly. "What exactly, I don't know, but I know it's because of her he's like that."

"Where is she?"

"I dunno. She might have got out before the lock down occurred."

"How soon are those doors going to be opened?"

"Soon."

"How soon?"

"As soon as Jones can get here."

Becker was not happy about that piece of news.

"It's not soon enough!"

Then it really wasn't, Matt went frightfully still and limp in Becker's arms. There was a look of utter panic on Becker's face, he called out his name, he slapped at his face to try and rouse him but it didn't wake Matt at all.

"MATT! Please… MATT! Answer me!"

Emily again took control—as if she'd never lost it—and pushed Becker away. She checked Matt's vitals—he was breathing— and signaled with a wave of her hand for Connor and Edward to take Matt to the exit, ready for when help arrived. As Edward and Connor struggled to carry Matt, Emily struggled herself to keep Becker subdued whilst at the same time hauling him in the same direction.

Emily was strong despite her size and despite Becker's condition and his protesting, yet she managed to get him to the door. She leaned the dazed half-blind man against the wall and whispered something to him as she ripped another strip from her dress to bandage his wound.

She calmed him down further with a single touch of her hand on his cheek.

Edward didn't hear what she whispered to him, but whatever it was, it eased him. He seemed to accept what was going on and that there wasn't anything else he could do, so Becker moved over to where Matt was resting and took him back up in his arms. His hands touched over Matt, at first checking his injuries and then resting ever so tenderly over his chest.

"His ribs are broken and he might have possible internal bleeding." Becker's voice was deadpan, professional, but the stroke of his hand against Matt's face, as Emily had done to him, was intimate. "We have to get him out of here… please."

Seeing that loving touch and hearing Becker's voice turn into a simper made Edward flinch and he saw that Connor looked surprised at such a gesture, but in that instant there was the sound of lockdown being lifted.

Becker immediately tried to scramble to his feet and as soon as he managed to, he picked up Matt under great strain and with immense determination. He wobbled and nearly dropped Matt but he refused help except from Emily. He allowed her to guide him through the doors and keep him in a relatively straight line.

Edward was surprised at the crowd that greeted them outside, but it wasn't completely unexpected, after all he had asked for it. Well, most of it.

This prison was Ackley's property. What had happened to the previous inmates was uncertain, but this was his place. His people had been keeping it secure, but now there were firemen, police and soldiers everywhere, as well as some onlookers, passers-by. The press was here too, for there were flashing lights from cameras.

Jones, a tall stocky man in a long trench coat, and a few others of his team, came rushing up to help them.

"Lester! What the hell is going on?" Jones asked as Connor and Emily did their best to keep the others away from Becker and Matt. "You told me to get all the emergency services here and I have, so what's happened with Ackley? The radios are going absolutely bonkers and Downing Street's not happy! They're demanding answers!"

Edward understood that all these 'agents' needed answers, everyone was after them but he was still the newbie. He could tell that they thought he was not qualified for this, that he had no right to be giving any kind of orders or to be in the position he was in. He was still a boy.

"I'm sorry, but I can't give you all the answers, I don't know them. I will tell you what I know on the way to the station." Edward replied. "We need to get these people back to the anomaly and to their own time as soon as possible. Also our teams have to secure the prison. No one else should be allowed in that facility."

"Something else came through the portal? An incursion?"

Edward shook his head. "Not exactly, it's hard to say, though Ackley is responsible."

Jones was unnerved by that, but he nodded and after he gave out the orders to his second in command, he directed Emily and Becker towards one of the military's medical trucks, where others of his team aided the wounded into the back.

"The hospital might be better for them judging by their condition." Jones said, looking at the blood drenching the two men. "However, if we unlocked the portal now, it will vanish."

"Wait! You've locked the anomaly?" asked Connor. "How?"

"With one of our devices." Jones replied. "It's quite technical, but I suppose we'd best get you home then."

Jones issued some last minute orders on his radio and the truck then sped off towards the station.

Even at Kings Cross, things were not going as well. The public were not happy about the disruption and at their being kept out of the station itself. More soldiers and police were acting as barriers for the public, but they parted pretty quickly for the truck.

Jones parked the truck in a remote place which allowed them to get inside without being pestered further. Edward never liked seeing Kings Cross looking so deserted and barren without the bustle of people, but it was necessary. If he was still freaked out by all this, then they certainly would be.

They grabbed a stretcher from the back of the medical truck and it made carrying Matt to the anomaly was a heck of a lot easier. Emily and Connor helped Becker and to Edward, it felt a long time before they finally reached the platform and the anomaly. It was painfully slow work.

Unlike before, when Edward had been keeping guard with only two other men, the anomaly portal was guarded like a fortress now. More men, armed with guns, surrounded the phenomenon and several more were guarding a locking device. The once-huge glowing anomaly was like a small silver ball slowing turning around in mid-air. It was dormant?

Connor wasted no time by asking anything of anyone. He ran over to the device, muttering that it was his invention, and shoved one of the armed men aside. When the man pointed his gun at his head, Connor scowled.

"Do you mind? Don't point that at me!"

"Do as he says, man," said Jones. "But tell me, what happened? Did Ackley come through this way? Have you heard anything from him?"

The man shook his head. "No, sir. I've not seen anything of Mr Ackley himself, but a few moments ago some of the men were called away, by him on the radio, no reason was given. The rest of us were told to remain here."

"So Ackley is still here, in this time. He hasn't gone back." Edward said.

Connor wasn't going to tell them that they might have gone through another anomaly; instead he focused on the locking device. His fingers were a blur over the control and Emily and Becker were staring at the anomaly waiting patiently for it to open.

In an instant the small silver glittering ball erupted out into a big anomaly, but there was something not quite right about it. It seemed dimmer, it looked as if it was about to disappear.

"No!"

Edward turned at the sound of Matt's voice.

Matt was wide awake and looked like he had seen a ghost. He was pale beneath the blood on his skin and he was shaking as he scrambled to his feet. Matt was awake but the thought of going back through the anomaly terrified him.

Emily ran over to him.

"Matt, we can go home!"

"No!" he yelled. "I'm not going, not when Ackley is still here! He's planning something! He still wants me to find out! We have to stop him!"

"Guys! Now is not the time to be having this debate!" Connor yelled. "We have to go! The anomaly is on the verge of closing!"

"Then go!" Emily snapped. "We're right behind you!"

Connor didn't look sure. He wanted to go but Edward knew that he wasn't someone who could casually abandon his friends.

"Becker?"

"Go, Connor."

Connor edged closer to the anomaly, still unsure and very worried, especially as some of the armed men tried to restrain Matt, but eventually he did as he was told and walked through the anomaly.

* * *

><p><strong>2011<strong>

It was previously unknown to have two locking devices keeping an anomaly closed. Abby knew that Connor hadn't taken any with him when they first went through, which meant that there had to be another. Ackley must have one.

Everything was so insane.

Ryan being alive was just one thing.

She had explained as best she could everything that she remembered, but time had been changed in other ways here. It saddened her to know that Cutter and Stephen had still died, but Danny was alive, he had managed to stop Ethan from escaping and he was now with Jenny helping Ethan as much as they could.

And Sarah? No one knew what had happened to her. Instead of dying, she was missing in the past, but she might as well been dead. Ryan explained to her how important she was to him, how he never wanted to give up on her. Every mission brief always kept the order to be on the lookout for her.

There were other changes she had yet to hear about, especially about the ARCs origins, but for now there was the concern and problem of the anomaly being locked from both sides.

"So you can't unlock it? At all?" Ryan asked Greaves as the two soldiers stood next to a couple of scientists fiddling at the innards of Connor's invention.

"Well… no." Greaves said. "These guys have turned our device off, but until whatever is locking it on the other side shuts down…we can't do anything."

"I don't like not being able to do anything." said Ryan, his grip on his gun tightening with frustration. "Just keep at it."

"Aye, sir."

Ryan turned away and then he began to pace back and forth in front of Abby. Ever since hearing the news of Becker's death, they had all taken it surprisingly well—as well as anyone could take the news of their captain's death— but Abby could see the loss and grief edging slowly across Ryan's face. She still couldn't believe that he was alive, it felt weird to see him in front of her like this.

Abby wanted him to stop pacing, she wanted to talk to him more about their differences, but just as she opened her mouth, the anomaly swelled up and opened.

Everyone jumped to attention, alert and ready, guns aimed at the glowing anomaly in case anything or anyone hostile came through. For a moment, nothing happened and the tension built high until finally Connor appeared.

Blood covered his clothes, he looked absolutely worn and tired and so afraid.

"It's me!" he gasped, holding his hands out in defence. "It's just me!"

"Hold your fire!" Ryan yelled.

Everyone stood down, lowering their weapons.

Abby rushed up to Connor, concerned that he might be hurt, but his small smile and the crushing hug he gave her told her that he was okay.

"The others are right behind me." He said, gasping for breath. "Don't worry, Abs. It's not my blood, it's Predators blood and maybe some of Matt's and Becker's too. They're coming through in a moment. All of them."

"All of them?"

"Becker is alive, Abby! He and Emily are alive! Ackley lied!"

Connor grinned when he saw how elated and relieved Abby was at hearing that news. She squeezed him so hard and when she let him go Connor was able to see the look of delight on the other men's faces. Including Ryan.

"What the f-?" Connor gasped for breath as he pointed a finger at Ryan. "He's alive too? How did that happen?"

Abby gave him a look.

"Oh heck. We changed the future, didn't we?"

Abby nodded.

"Damn." Connor bowed his head and pulled Abby into another hug. "Abby, it didn't go well back there. Matt… Matt is in a seriously bad way."

"Where is he?"

Connor turned round and then the look of worry and panic drifted across his face once again. He looked to the anomaly and waited. They all waited, but still no one came through.

A few seconds later, still nothing.

"Connor? Where are they?" Abby asked, her hand squeezing his tightly.

Connor didn't reply, he only muttered under his breath_ "Come on! Come on, you guys!"_ and he shuffled nervously on his feet. He then began to bite anxiously at his nails.

"Connor! Where are they?" Ryan repeated.

"They were right behind me! I swear! They were right behind me!"

"Oh god!" Abby gasped. "The anomaly is closing!"

"No!" Connor ripped his hand out of Abby's grasp. "I can't leave them back there!"

Abby screamed at him not to do it, but it seemed he didn't hear or didn't want to hear. As the light of the anomaly faded away, Connor ran straight towards it. Abby felt her voice break and her legs give out when Connor and the anomaly vanished completely.

* * *

><p><strong>1932<strong>

"You shouldn't have come back. It was very foolish."

"I couldn't leave you guys."

Emily smiled weakly and took hold of Connor's hand.

"Thank you, but it was still very foolish."

The sun was shining today, it was warm, the birds were singing and while the two of them sat on the bench watching the others go about their daily lives, it was anything but lovely.

The people who walked past them were not their people. The cars were not their cars. This was not their time. 1932 had been such an exciting prospect when they all agreed to go through, but as Emily and Connor sat watching this world, it felt horribly cold and unreal.

They were stranded. There was no home to go to any more.

"How is he?" Emily asked.

Connor slicked some of his hair back and pulled at the collar of his coat. Emily really didn't want to focus too much on what had happened, neither of them did, but the silence was just unbearable for her.

"Fortunately, it's not infected, but… it's going to scar." Connor replied, allowing Emily to lean against him. He put his arm around her and for a few minutes they watched the world of 1932 go on before he carried on talking. "They'll let him out in a few days, maybe a week, but Becker's not happy. He's got one hell of a temper and none of the nurses want to go anywhere near him. He hates it in there, Emily. Why don't you go and see him?"

"Maybe I will, later."

She wasn't going to tell Connor that she was afraid to see Becker in the state that he was in. She didn't want to see him so angry and she hated herself for it.

"Emily… we can't leave him in that place."

She knew he was now referring to Matt. She bobbed her head, briefly acknowledging that statement, but hoped that Connor would stop talking about it. Knowing how much Becker hated being in hospital was bad enough, but knowing about Matt was something else.

Her eyes began to sting and burn with tears, but Emily refused to let them fall.

"We're not going to leave him, but it's not going to be easy to get him out either. You saw how bad he got." Emily rose to her feet and looked across the park to where their tails were obviously trying to hide behind their newspapers. "Walk back to the apartment with me, Connor. It's too cold out here."

"I've got to go to the ARC in an hour. I don't want to leave you on your own. Come with me, Emily. There is still some hope. Well… a bit."

Emily held out her hand and looked away from him. It was simply a signal for him to stop talking and comply. Once he did, when he took hold of her hand and they walked slowly together down the path, their tails followed.

* * *

><p>"So. This is what is comes down to."<p>

Matt didn't look up. He kept his face resting on his knees and ground his teeth in frustration. Anger and grief kept interchanging and it was tearing him apart.

The lights. He remembered the lights flashing and streaming past him. Hands restrained him and held him down. He was bound, tied so he could barely move. He heard the slamming of doors and screams. The Predators had always haunted his dreams, but now it was ten times worse. They were calling out to him.

"We're in a bit of a pickle, boyo."

"I'm not talking to you."

"If you say so, but you have to admit what you did to those soldiers who tried to restrain you was a bit over the top. Your actions have stranded us here and you've kept us here because you think Ackley is still in this time and up to something else. You think that those predators you faced were just a distraction? Who cares? There is no way of getting back to good old 2011 now. The anomaly has gone."

"Shut up." Matt growled.

"I can't. How can I? You're thinking it, so I say it. Matt… you're fucked up. That's why we're here and it's why Becker and Emily won't come and see you!"

Matt shook his head. They will come and see him! The screams will also stop as well!

Matt badly wanted to see Becker and Emily again, and Connor, he needed to know that they were okay. He also wanted the voices to be quiet, especially his own.

"You are going to spend the rest of your life here and they are going to be so blissfully happy together… without you."

Matt snapped. He utterly lost it.

He yelled. He roared until his throat went raw and he looked up and saw his own self laughing as he stood over him. Matt struggled to his feet, screaming hell and obscenity at himself, and lunged towards him.

He only succeeded in smashing into the bolted door. He did so again and again until he fell onto his back, red in the face as he struggled to free his arms from the canvas straight jacket. He screamed and cried through the straps that bound around his head, before breaking into laughter.


	15. Letters For Home

**Author's Note: The penultimate chapter of this first part of the Past/Present/Future story. I hope the people who are still reading it enjoy this one. It was beta' by FredBassett, but I had to make the changes manually. As I am also ill at the time of this posting, any mistakes are all down to me. Do enjoy. **

* * *

><p><span>PastPresent/Future - Letters For Home

**_Hey Abby. _**

**_I write this only a few hours after Becker, Matt, Emily and I were trapped in 1932. Abby, I'm so sorry for going back, but I couldn't leave them. _**

**_I shall try to be brief, but it's not easy to fit everything in on paper. God I wish I had my laptop. _**

**_Suffice to say, it hasn't gone well. _**

**_Ackley has been experimenting and creating future predators. He's integrated 21_****_st_****_ century tech with 1930's tech and god knows what else. He's changed a lot about this time, but he's kept a tight rein on it. Ackley's trying to find a way to control his predators, they've got the clamps on their heads, like the one Christine had, but we don't know what he's really planning to do with them. Matt is involved somehow, Ackley has a strange fixation with him. Ackley wants to kill Matt but then he doesn't? The guy seriously can't make up his mind. _**

**_Emily said his beef was mainly with Matt's dad. He's angry for not being allowed to stop some kind of future plague and he's angry at Matt for not siding with him or helping? She's not entirely sure of all the details, but what we do know is that he's disappeared and taken his men with him._**

**_The ARC teams here are up in arms about it. Ackley was the one who made these advances possible, he started it all, and now he's just gone? The predators—which are dead by the way—have them seriously wigging out about what he was doing and they're way out of their depth. They're not exactly letting us help either and this is why…_**

**_April is alive, Abby. Actually she's a clone of April. The woman is also Ackley's daughter which explains a lot! He sent her back to our time to screw things up with Philip…and yeah, me. It was all planned! Now she's back here! She was here with us in the prison before getting away, but Abby, she's also done something to Matt. She infected him with some kind of engineered virus or a drug that's seriously messed with his mind. I think she infected him in 2011 at our ARC, but whenever she did it, Matt is losing it big time and right now they're locking him up in an asylum!_**

**_He's really bad, Abby…seeing him like he is, it's horrible. I can't write much about what he's going through but suffice to say Becker is beyond livid and Emily…she's not herself either. She's very quiet, she hardly speaks. I'm really worried for her. For both of them. _**

**_Abby, we don't know what's going to happen to us. Becker is in hospital, he got injured, a pretty nasty cut across his eye, Matt is locked away and Emily and I are being held and questioned and not in a nice way. It doesn't look great for us at all, the possibility of returning back to 2011 is slim at most, but I'm not giving up. _**

**_There has to be a way. I'm going to find it. _**

**_Edward will be keeping the letters safe and when the time is right our Lester will give them to you. At least this way, you won't have to worry too much. _**

**_Take care._**

**_Connor. xx_**

* * *

><p><strong>1932<strong>

It wasn't the same building as their ARC, but when Emily first stepped out of the lift, the central 'hub' had an eerie familiarity to it.

While there wasn't a sleek computer station, like Jess had in the centre, there were rows of what looked like radios on work benches, and other rigged contraptions, all of which were amalgamated with some future technology. Instead of only a few quiet scientists at their stations, there were a lot people crowding around the equipment, busy studying and experimenting.

This ARC was much more formal than it was in the future. There were supervisors overlooking things and there was no sound of laughter or the murmurs of gossip. The silence of such sounds and the way the three soldiers were standing on guard gave this ARC a much more formal atmosphere than their own.

Emily stood outside what could easily have been Lester's—James Lester's—office. She could see through the glass and open, tattered blinds, Connor talking enthusiastically to Jones, Edward and a rather elderly looking gentleman in a suit.

The elderly man was the guy in charge, the person who made all the decisions. He was Lester's counterpart.

Introduced simply as Sir Charles, Emily took instant dislike to him, for he was stiff and grim-looking, like a mortician, and he reminded her too much of Henry in the way he acted and treated others. He behaved as if everyone else was beneath him and had no sense of humour or any kind of positive traits.

Emily didn't want to go in to that office, even if that snide, despicable man had wanted her there, which he didn't. So she allowed Connor and the two other men to deal with things.

Connor was still under the impression that they could find another anomaly and get home and Emily was fine to let him think that. He was in there, babbling in his own sweet way, but looking very haggard and tired. While Edward and Jones were greatly interested in what he had to say, their boss was far from it. Connor was beginning to lose patience, but if there was any remote possibility of getting out of the 1930's it would be Connor who would find it. He would be the one to do something and she wasn't going to argue with him when he still had his enthusiasm.

Emily had other things on her mind.

They had been trapped here for just over a week. Becker was in hospital still, but that didn't stop Sir Charles sending his people to get information out of him. The three of them had been interrogated about the creatures in the prison and for what else they knew about Ackley, and while Jones accepted their reluctance to divulge too much about the future, Sir Charles did not.

He did not make things easy for Emily and Connor. He threatened to have them locked up in a cell, he threatened them in just about every single way he could think of but in the end he was overruled, he was told to treat them as guests not prisoners or suspects. So they were given some place to stay but kept under close observation.

The attic apartment Emily and Connor had been given was big and very spacious but it was not somewhere Emily wanted to stay for the rest of her life.

It was drab attic, with no individual rooms, only three beds, one sofa with a table and a worn out wireless, a fridge in the far corner and a wash basin. It was on the verge of falling apart. It was the attic above a music hall that had bands playing every night, so in the late hours, as she tried to sleep, the lively music echoed up through all the floors and she could hear it. It was just a rundown attic with crappy lighting; a place none of the disgustingly wealthy knew was there whilst they drank, danced and enjoyed them, Emily and Connor were isolated and contained.

Connor had gone to the club a couple of times, hoping the jazz and other people would help him, but Emily steered clear of it.

Edward and his wife came to see them to help in any way they could, with food, clothes and any extras they could spare, however Emily couldn't get comfortable no matter how kind they were, or the staff of the club, because she still worried about Matt.

She worried about him all the time.

Emily had tried to get Matt out, she did everything she could, but just like in her era, the men in charge weren't interested in what a woman had to say. Her threats and angry retorts were ignored by those in charge, for their priority wasn't the release of a mad Irishman, it was the location of Ackley.

All of Ackley's properties were searched, which were abandoned and empty, though thankfully no more predators were discovered. There wasn't a single clue left behind that could lead them to him. The government wanted him found, the PM had been duped by him and so nothing else mattered.

Almost every resource was put into finding Ackley.

The anomalies were dealt with. Jones and his teams were a familiar and slightly comforting sight, especially when they answered the calls, but it was all so odd and cause for a little concern. Connor had said that until Cutter found the one in the Forest of the Dean, no one else really knew about them.

Connor dived into the research here, it was what he did best.

The days were cold for Emily. Without Matt and knowing where he was and what he was going through, she couldn't find any warmth or happiness in anything. She even missed Becker, but when she went to visit him in hospital, he was just as withdrawn and sombre as her.

Connor's company was fine and well, he did his best to make her smile and she appreciated his efforts, but… he wasn't Matt.

A siren started to go off, breaking Emily out of her daze and she saw everyone in the room start to panic as to what was going on. One man was already on the phone when Connor and the others came rushing out of the office. Sir Charles was fuming.

"What the deuce is going on?" he bellowed above the alarm.

The man on the phone muttered into the handset and put it down, mere moments before the sirens stopped wailing.

"Sir, Captain Becker is on his way down," he said nervously.

Emily smiled. She was pleased he was finally out of hospital. When she told him about Matt, his bad mood had gotten worse and now he was coming here. Good. Let them deal with him.

"When one of the sentries tried to restrain him, he assaulted him and forced his way through." The man stammered under the mean glare of his boss. "He's caused quite a ruckus, sir."

"Is he armed?"

"No, sir."

"No?"

"Apparently he didn't need to be."

Connor's snorting laugh into his hand made Emily smirk and they both turned round when the lift doors opened and Becker came storming out.

The three armed soldiers were upon him immediately and they grabbed hold of his arms, making the situation worse. Emily and Connor called out for them to let him go, as Becker resisted. He got a head-butt to one of them and elbowed the second man in the stomach but the third kept him in a tight lock and dragged Becker up to Sir Charles.

Emily saw how pale and tired Becker looked. He wasn't fully recovered and he looked so weak and weary. A long pink/red gash stood out on his pale skin, his handsome face was marred now by that knife wound and it was going to leave a big scar.

Becker was angry and that scar made him look even more so. After a few moments of struggling, Becker finally calmed down enough for the soldier to let him go, when he then confronted Charles with a barely restrained temper.

"Get Matt Anderson out of that place." Becker ordered. "Get him out of there, now!"

Sir Charles simply sneered at Becker with utter contempt. He was not impressed by Becker's actions or fazed by his threatening manner. He looked over Becker's face, scrutinising the large gash that barely missed his eye.

Sir Charles took a step back and brushed his fingers over his jacket as if to swipe off something disgusting Becker had left there.

"_Captain_ Becker. You may do things differently in your time, but you most certainly do not barge into this facility and assault the men who work here. You do not call the shots, you do not give the orders. You and your friends are here only at the request of the Prime Minister, however I can say the word and you, your woman and your short northern friend will be out on the streets, so don't threaten me, because that will not get that Irish madman out of where he is supposed to be."

Emily nearly threw a punch at the bastard's face for that comment, but Connor held her back, obviously thinking that Becker would do it for them.

Becker smiled back at Sir Charles.

"Of course, sir. I'm sorry." Becker calmed down and appeared to co-operate, holding up his hands in a show of assurance but then he smiled a big insincere grin. "Sir Charles, I want to help you find Nathan Ackley. The PM wants him and he wants information, which I will give you. My friends and I will co-operate. We can even tell you what we learnt about the anomalies. Anything you want to know, we'll give you. Gladly."

"Don't play games with me, Becker," Charles said, clearly disbelieving him and the way Becker was acting.

"Oh I'm not. If you wish to ask us questions, we'll talk."

"But Connor here has been refusing to tell us anything," Jones interrupted "For good reasons, as far as I'm aware."

"Well, I thought I was doing the right thing by that." Connor was just as confused by Becker's behaviour. "Becker…I did do right by not telling them stuff…right?"

"Tell them what you know, Connor," Becker said as he still stared and grinned at Sir Charles as if everything was hunky dory. "Tell them everything."

"What… what about the timeline and altering history?"

"Don't worry too much about that. The Prime Minister has to know."

Emily watched the smirk on Sir Charles' face grow. The arrogance of that man was sickening. Sir Charles signalled to some of the other ARC researchers with a single gesture of his hand and obediently they scurried around Connor, ready to usher him away for interrogation.

It wasn't as if they hadn't tried to extract this kind of information already, but they were much more hopeful now that Becker had said they would cooperate. Sir Charles was too, he was positively beaming in his victory.

"Hey, Connor! Hold off just for the moment, though!" It was Becker's turn to smirk and he did with childish glee. "Don't tell them anything until Matt is released."

"I beg your pardon?" Charles pulled a face at Becker, grimacing as if he was some kind of bad smell wafting beneath his nose. Becker's smile grew wider and was more much genuine. Emily found herself doing the same.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should have made myself clearer. We won't be telling you anything until Matt Anderson is out of that place you have him locked up in. Matt is the one who knows how to find Ackley, far more so than we do. They're from a completely different time than us."

"You mean he's from _your_ future?" Edward piqued up.

"Matt happens to be our friend and so he belongs with us, not rotting away in some barbaric loony bin dosed up on whatever screwed up drugs this era think will actually help. We want him back and so until he is, the Prime Minister and your staff here will get nothing. Put us out on the streets if you'd like, put us in jail too if you really think that will help, or threaten to shoot us, whatever. You'll get nothing and Ackley will elude you. Matt is your only hope."

"You insolent little prig," Sir Charles scoffed at him and then sneered at Connor. "Do you really think your feeble attempts to get that Irish sack of crazy out, will work? You don't make demands here, Becker. I will have you all arrested and…"

"Arrest me then!" Becker yelled. "Arrest us all! Good luck with finding Ackley, because you have no bloody clue, you stuck up arsehole!"

Sir Charles opened his mouth in shock. He stood there for a few seconds, stunned that someone had had the audacity to speak to him like that. He went to give the order to have Becker arrested, but he closed his mouth quickly and instead grunted distastefully before walking back into his office and slamming the door behind him. Emily saw him pick up the telephone and she watched most bemusedly as he had a rather harrowing conversation that didn't go his way.

"Oh Becker, mate! Way to stick it to the man!" Connor grinned and held up a hand for a high-five. Becker obliged him by slapping that palm. "I'm so pleased you're here now! We've missed you buddy!"

Connor and Becker gave each other a quick embrace, which made Becker smile with relief. After they let go, Emily could see he was more than tired. He was exhausted and he could really do with a rest. The hospital hadn't been brilliant for him but just like Connor, he was pushing past the fatigue.

"Connor…" Becker lowered his voice. He paused briefly when Charles bellowed loudly for Jones and Edward to get into his office and then carried on when they were out of earshot. "When they talk to you, make stuff up. Can you do that?"

"You want me to lie to them?"

"Pretty much, the timeline has been changed too much already. Giving them real intel would make things worse."

"Oh sure!" Connor beamed happily. "Lying it is then! I've got tons of TV sci-fi to fall back on!"

Connor would have a field day doing that.

"Good one."

Becker patted Connor on the back and turned to Emily when Connor walked over to one of the work stations.

Becker's bravado softened somewhat and his cocky confident smirk changed to a gentle, sincere, but sad smile. Emily was a little caught off guard when he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace, but she held him and she felt Becker sag wearily against her.

He nestled his face in the crook of her neck and they just stood there for a moment, Emily letting him regain control of his breathing and his anxiety through this hold, giving him the comfort he really needed in return.

It felt good for her. Emily squeezed Becker, urging him to hold her tighter as well and when he responded in kind, she felt a warmth ebb through her body she hadn't felt since they'd been trapped here.

"It's so good to be out of that place," Becker murmured softly against her neck. His warm breath sighed against her skin and then he pulled out of the hug. "I couldn't stand it."

"You were giving the nurses a hard time." Emily took hold of his hand and gently stroked at his arm.

Becker huffed out an amused chuckle and nodded. "I was a bit of shit, but then 1930s healthcare isn't what I'm used to. It's practically medieval."

He touched absentmindedly at his wound and scowled, the scowl quickly changing to regret and worry as he remembered Matt giving him the injury.

Emily reached up, slowly and carefully and traced her fingers across the length of his wound. Becker flinched a little, but he accepted Emily's touch.

"Have you seen him?" he asked, making Emily take her hand away. Her hand dropped but not before it traced lightly across his stubbly cheek. She shook her head. "I don't blame you for not seeing him, but we're getting him back."

"I tried," she said, gritting her teeth and glaring evilly at Sir Charles in his office. "I did everything I could think of but they wouldn't listen. That beastly man brushed me off as if I was nothing but foul excrement on the bottom of his shoe!"

"I know you did your best, but that man doesn't have a choice about it anymore, we're going to have Matt back." Becker pulled Emily into another hug, again drawing much needed strength from her, rather than giving it.

He was not normally one for showing his vulnerability, nor did he allow it to be witnessed by others, but Becker was content to have Emily see how he was and help him for both of them knew that they had to be strong in order to help Matt.

"Connor said April did something to him." Emily muttered. "How she was even alive, I don't know, but she could have given him any number of substances! We need to know what exactly, because if we can't reverse it, he won't get better. He won't be…"

"Emily, I swear we'll get him back. We'll find out what April has done to him and Matt will be the same cocky Irish shit we all came to know and well… know."

He still couldn't say it. Typical.

Bells started to ring. Emily recognised what that sound entailed and watched as Jones and Edward came running from the office. The two of them immediately went to the station of a middle aged man with sandy coloured hair and glasses who slammed down the phone.

The man in question proceeded to inform Jones about an anomaly sighting. She didn't know his name but he was Jess' equivalent, the field co-ordinator and as he was informing the team leader, men Emily saw at the prison with Jones began to mobilise, just like an ordinary ARC team would.

Becker looked for a moment as if he wanted to go along, his fingers twitched to grasp the familiar outlines of an EMD but instead he approached Jones and listened in, before asking if Connor could go with them instead.

"Sure. We could do with his expertise." Becker appreciated the cooperation and Jones smiled in return. "Charles doesn't like what you've done. He's up in arms over your demands, but it's happening. They're going to release the Irish fellow into your custody, but only if he helps find Ackley and keeps out of trouble. One wrong step and he's back in there for good. I hope for your sake your friend is not as bad as he was."

"I hope so too."

"Good. Lester will accompany you and you can then take Matt Anderson back to your apartment. He will need some rest before we question him, that's for sure."

"Aren't I needed on this anomaly mission?" asked Edward, almost whining like a child, or like Connor did when he knew he was going to miss out on all the fun.

"No. It's best that you stay with them, so deal with it Lester. Besides, they seem to have a rapport with you. We'll make sure Temple is okay with us, though I sincerely hope this anomaly is a lead."

"Thank you, Mr Jones." Emily held out her hand and the man graciously shook it before barking orders out to his men and Connor.

The six of them filed out, all arming their pistols and revolvers, except Connor, who was quite put out they wouldn't let him have one.

"Let's get out of here…before Sir Charles changes his mind." Edward sighed and turned away from the office. Emily heartily agreed with that statement but even leaving this building and getting away from that man didn't alleviate the fear of how Matt would be when she saw him.

* * *

><p>When he closed his eyes, he could picture the desolate wastelands of his home.<p>

He saw the blood and heard the screams. He smelt the acid as it fell as rain from the sky and the foul stench of decay and shit. The nightmares had come back with a vengeance now and so had the memories.

He dreamed of his father, of how Gideon had tried to make things right. He dreamed of his father's death and of the pain he went through. Ackley had caused that pain, Ackley had given Matt's father a slow and agonising death and Matt wished—he _prayed_—everyday that it had never happened.

He wished for a great many things, but most of all, Matt wished that they had never found Nathan Ackley, or befriended him. Matt wished that they had never taken him back to their time to try and persuade him to stop his experiments.

Matt was full of regret.

He was full of something else too.

When he opened his eyes—which stung and throbbed —there was nothing but a cold dreary room, bare and grim except for the iron bed he slept on. There was no window or any source of light except from a flickering bulb that didn't really illuminate anything and in this darkness his head swam with a dizziness that made him nauseous due to the drugs they pumped into him. There was also a foul stench that permeated the place. That was him.

It felt like a dream, but Matt knew this was real. Sometimes, _he_ was there, leaning casually against the wall smiling and laughing. _He_ whistled and sang, which often annoyed the orderlies and nurses and their methods to shut him up only riled Matt more. When he became like that, that was when they put on the damned jacket, injected him again and let him scream it out.

Matt lost track of time here. He didn't know how long he had been in this place, wallowing in the darkness and in his past (future?) but now as he lay on his side, the restraints of the leather jacket securing his arms tightly to his body, something was different.

Someone was coming.

The door bolts clanged loudly and there was a familiar squeak as the door opened.

"Oi, Paddy! You've got visitors!"

"I'm not allowed visitors," he murmured, looking to the other Matt sitting cross-legged on the floor beside him "Except him. He's always fucking here."

Matt Two grinned and waved at the orderly who clearly couldn't see him.

"They're your friends or so they say," the man said. "I find it really hard to believe that someone like you has any."

"I'm all charm!" Matt Two guffawed. "Show them in! It'll be a laugh!"

The orderly shook his head, confounded as to why Matt was finding this funny and opened the door wider.

Matt shuffled around and saw the light beaming through. He sheltered his eyes by covering them with his arm, but he forced himself to peek and all he could see were four blurred outlines of people. He couldn't make out who they were, except for the one in white.

"Here he is. Good luck to you, he's doped up on various drugs to keep him calm…."

"Oh my god, Matt!"

"You bunch of sick bastards! How could you treat him like this?"

Two new voices started talking, loudly and desperately…angrily? Matt couldn't tell. He couldn't see who they were, so he looked to his other self, who shrugged his shoulders.

"Get that thing off him! Get it off of him!"

Matt reacted, he jerked and tried to resist as two other men in white appeared and dragged him up off the floor and onto his knees. He stopped fighting when the leather straps from around his head were loosened and they fell away. Soon after his arms were free and the jacket had slipped right off.

He couldn't sit up though. Matt toppled from his knees and onto his side when the orderlies let him go and the cold hard floor smacked hard against him, making him cry out.

"Don't get too close to him, sir! He's prone to violent outbursts, that's why he's in this cell!"

"Oh shut the hell up."

Strong hands lifted him up off the floor and held him in a sitting position. Matt still felt dizzy and sick, but his vision was able to focus more at the person who had lifted him up. He didn't know this person… did he?

Matt Two did and he was sneering.

"Matt, it's me! It's Becker. Do you remember? Do you know who I am?"

Who?

His vision began to clear and the man came into much clearer focus. He was younger than he was, good-looking except for the scar, and dressed in black but there was something missing.

"What do you want?" Matt asked, his voice croaking.

"I'm taking you out of here."

"Are you sure? They don't let crazy people out of here."

Becker grinned and patted his back. "Yes. You're getting out of this shit hole. You're not crazy, Matt."

"He doesn't seem to think so." Matt pointed to where the other him was.

At first, this Becker looked confused as he tried to see what Matt was pointing at. He frowned in disbelief and Matt finally realised that Becker couldn't see the other him. If seeing hallucinations of yourself wasn't crazy…he hated to think what actually was.

"You're coming back with us, Matt. We're going to get you better."

Better? They couldn't possibly get him better. Matt looked around, ignoring the other him who thought it all funny, and tried for a moment to make some sense of the confusion in his head. His memories and nightmares of his life felt horribly real now, but there was something good in amongst it all. He recalled something that wasn't painful or sickening.

A smile, beautiful dark eyes…a kiss of lips so soft. Matt pulled that memory out of his bloodied past and focused on it.

It finally clicked as she knelt down beside him. Matt smiled. He remembered her.

He remembered this woman and how the dark long ringlets of her hair framed her face. He remembered the intensity of her eyes and how her smile could make him feel.

She wasn't smiling now though. She was sad, her eyes were pooled with tears and she was shivering. Matt remembered what he did the last time she looked sad.

He leaned out of Becker's hold and rested one hand upon her shoulder. The other brushed her hair out of her face, his thumb wiping away a lone tear that spilled down her cheek. He was surprised that she didn't back away or flinch. She wasn't the slightest bit afraid of him when he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.

He wrapped his arms around her, cradling her body as he gave everything of himself into that kiss, and for a brief second Matt felt her respond, she inhaled with excitement mere moments before pushing him away, her hand still lingering, shaking, on his cheek.

"Matt. No."

She wasn't sad anymore. She was angry.

Was she rejecting him?

Matt felt a stabbing stitch in his chest; he slumped back onto his rear and shook his head in disbelief. This wasn't supposed to happen!

Matt peered around again, she had moved away from him, shaking with fear and dread and Matt hated himself for it. His other self smiled and tutted as if he knew she was going to do that.

The dizziness came back. Matt swayed in his upright position, he nearly toppled over, retching but bringing up nothing, but his hand slammed onto the floor and prevented him from collapsing completely. He dry heaved for a while, before Matt Two choked with laughter.

"It's not funny! Stop laughing!"

"I'm not here!" Matt Two yelled. "You're the one laughing, dickhead!"

"Matt!"

The slap round the face caught him off guard, but it didn't stop the laughter. He heard several gasps and outcries from the others in the room as well as from her, they were yelling at him and at each other, but none of what was being yelled was clear. He just carried on laughing through the sickness in his stomach and in his head, but then he was hit again. The smarting burn across his cheek hurt, but this time Matt shook off the daze.

Matt looked directly into dark brown eyes and after a few more moments, he stopped laughing. His throat felt dry, he desperately needed something to drink, something other than the luke warm fetid water the staff gave him.

A vague memory came to the forefront of his addled mind and he smiled even more at the man who had hit him. This man could get him a drink. Matt was sure of it.

"Do you have any beer?" he asked.

Becker responded with a crafty smile of his own and helped Matt to his feet.

"Sure, I have beer."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Abby, <em>**

**_We've finally got Matt home! Well…we call it home but it's not really. It could still do with a lot of work and some decent bloody furniture but we can't really complain… well, we can and we do, but…sorry. I got distracted._**

**_Matt was released from the asylum, thanks to Becker and his negotiation skills. The doctors strongly disagreed, but Becker was having none of it. He wants Matt to get whatever drugs he's high on out of his system. Matt's been pumped so full of drugs he's away with the fairies. He's an absolute mess and it's like seeing a junkie going cold turkey when we watch him. It's downright awful._**

**_He screams every night and every day, he has these fits and shouts abuse and insults at us, and at other people that aren't actually there! He's having serious hallucinations that I'm wondering if there is any chance of him getting better at all! This could be what April has done to him! He barely eats or does anything except scream, but Becker and Emily are being vigilant. They're hanging in there, looking after him, being there for him. I don't know how they cope. They're amazing._**

**_They're doing everything they can for him, but it's difficult. They won't admit it, but they're struggling. I've offered to help but they won't let me. So I'm doing all I can to find a way home. I suppose that's all I can do. _**

**_I'm researching as much as I can with what information they will let me have about the anomalies, and there are a lot of anomalies about. We get reports of at least one every two days and that wasn't how it was before. They're remote still—which is so convenient yeah?—so a lot of people don't know about them and the incursions have been thankfully few. There is an ARC here now, run by a really horrible stuck up arse who is nothing like Lester and could never ever come close to being as good as him! But they have teams of people who allow me to help, we go and investigate…it's kinda like what we do in 2011, really._**

**_Anyway, the only conclusion I've come to, regarding the amount of the temporal incursions is that these anomalies are being opened, probably by Ackley's people. They're still around, this time is important somehow and so they're coming and going as they wish. This also means they must have access to devices to open the anomalies, like the AOD that we had in the cretaceous. Well, it's a theory and I hope it's right._**

**_If only I can get my hands on one of them. _**

**_So far, we're not having any luck with anything. _**

**_I really hope it changes soon. _**

**_Xxx Connor._**

* * *

><p><strong>1932<strong>

At last, he was resting peacefully.

There was no hurt or pain on his face as he slept and there were no signs of bad dreams as far as she could tell. The fever had passed, he was regaining some colour back and before he had passed out, Matt had eaten quite well, actually he had stuffed his face, but it was a good sign.

He was on the mend.

"I feared the worst for a moment, Lady Merchant."

Emily didn't need to look to know that Edward Lester was standing in the doorway. She'd heard his footsteps as he came along the corridor and he hadn't been exactly subtle upon coming through the door. Edward always came by to check on them, but it wasn't just because he was ordered to do so by Charles. He came because he cared and was concerned. There had been times when Emily and Becker had fallen asleep because of their exhaustion, only to wake to see the young man watching over all three of them.

Fiona had given him another bag of food for them and so Edward set it down by the fridge and came to stand by Emily's side.

"It's good to see he's all right, now," he said, his mannerisms so very much like James it was uncanny.

"For the time being." Emily let out a sigh. "We don't know what April did to him yet and we won't know until he wakes up. Has Connor had any breakthroughs?"

"No, but he's still trying."

"I hope Mr Jones is not working him too hard. Connor needs his rest as well."

"Miles doesn't have a say in the matter, Connor insists on pushing himself."

"Tell Mr Jones if Connor doesn't rest, he'll have me to answer to."

"Of course, Lady Merchant."

"And you can stop being so formal with me. My name is Emily."

"Yes, Lady Emily…"

There was no point in trying to tell Edward to relax. It was just like telling Connor. They all wanted to get back to their own time and Connor had a lot on his shoulders to try and make it possible, but then Connor was of no use to them if he was tired.

Then the same could be said about her and Becker. The sleep they got didn't feel in the slightest bit restful, in fact she always felt worse when she woke up. However, Emily knew that if she were to fall asleep now, it would be the best sleep she'd have since they got here. She felt comforted seeing Matt as he was now, so with Edward here, perhaps she could just shut her eyes for a moment.

She never got the chance to, as the other two men finally came through the door and Connor's excited voice jolted her awake, nearly causing her to fall out of her chair. Emily checked to see if Matt was woken but thankfully he still slept on.

She was not pleased about their rather loud return, so Emily got up and went to confront them. Emily was a little taken back by their appearances, for Connor and Becker looked as if they had been wrestling with some wild animals. Their clothes were ripped and muddy and both of them appeared to be missing their shoes.

"Emily! You should have seen us handle this raptor!" Connor's smile shone through the grime on his face. "We were amazing!"

"Oh really?"

"Oh yeah!" Connor then began to tell the story of how they were called out on yet another anomaly. He was babbling on about how they came across the raptor and when he saw how displeased Emily was looking, his voice trailed off into mumbles of _"sorryIthoughtitwassocool…"_

Becker looked a little ashamed too. He added his own murmurs of apology for being too loud and abrupt when walking in but Emily wasn't going to let them off that easily. It was all fine and well for them to go out creature hunting and anomaly chasing when she was here with Matt, but she had always asked them to be quiet upon their return.

A startled cry rang throughout the room and everyone turned to look.

Matt had jolted up right from the bed and was now wide awake, scared and so disorientated he then began to panic and started to thrash about. Emily and Becker rushed immediately to his side.

Emily could only watch as Becker tried to pin Matt to the bed, his hands firmly grabbing on his wrists whilst he straddled him and held him down. He called out to Matt, he tried to reason with him, but a vicious head-butt knocked Becker off and in his confusion, Matt started a brawl that had the three others hugging the walls.

Becker was trying his best to not hit Matt, but as Matt's scared and angry punches were genuine, fast and brutal, he had to respond in kind. Most of the time they managed to block each other's blows, but it was difficult for them to focus properly and so a few of the blows connected and soon each of them had split lips and blood trickling from their mouths.

All during this Becker had called out to Matt, tried to make him see reason, but it never happened. It didn't stop and even Emily's cries and pleas went on deaf ears. Connor and Lester tried to intervene as well, the result being the both of them clocked by a stray fist.

Emily's fears nearly caused her to scream again, when Becker was finally thrown to the floor and Matt, still in a rage, straddled him and placed his hands around his neck.

"Matt! Stop it! You're killing him!"

He didn't stop, Matt continued to squeeze. Becker began to thrash and gasp for air.

But before anyone could intervene, there was a look of horror, of realisation in Matt's eyes and his hands dropped away. He dragged Becker up and then held him in a tight embrace, rocking as he apologised.

"Oh shit! I'm so sorry! Oh god, Becker…I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't know….I'msorrysorrysorrysorry!"

Emily was about to go over and help, but stopped short when it was clear that Becker didn't want help. He wrapped his arms around Matt and his soft whispers and calming strokes of his hand on his back, quickly ended Matt's fearful apologies.

"It's all right. You're safe now. You're with me."

Becker broke the hug, but rested his hand upon Matt's check. He wiped his fingers across Matt's bloodied lip and ever so tenderly kissed him.

Matt kissed him back.

It was the first time Emily had seen them do so.

"Oh!"

It was obviously the same for Connor and Edward.

* * *

><p><strong>Abby! <strong>

**Did you know about Matt and Becker? Why didn't you tell me? ****Oh! What I saw at Emily's party, in the men's bogs, was true? It wasn't a dream? ****When we get back to 2011, you and I are so going to talk!**

**Connor. Xx**


End file.
